The Unexpected Love Story
by WBAD
Summary: You don't find love. Love finds YOU. He didn't see himself falling for her, but he did. She didn't think she would ever find a man who could exceed her love for dueling, but there is one. An unlikely pairing. A ship that will never sail in canon (sadly). But that's what fanfiction's for. Aster and Alexis' story told in several one-shots. ;)
1. Morning Pleasure

**Morning Pleasure**

He wasn't sure about other people…

But he knew _he _had a favorite view to fall asleep and wake up in the morning to. He hadn't even known that he had it until she came waltzing into his life like a dancer out to seduce the whole world. The best part about the entire thing was the opportunity to pick out the tiniest details for visual consumption from the moment he opened his eyes.

It wasn't always the same. There were times when he was granted a view of her lying on her back almost like that princess in Sleeping Beauty. Other times, she had her back turned to him and he could stare at her profile outlined in weak sun rays all he wanted — gaze roaming over every dip and curve detailed just right. There were also pesky moments when a body pillow would ruin the perfect view. He disliked those. But it made an adorable image, so half of him wasn't complaining. However, his favorite was whenever her face was in full display, a hand pillowing her head while the other was wrapped loosely around his torso or lying limply between them.

He could count this morning was one of the more blessed ones…

Pressed up against him like she was; nothing between them but gloriously bare skin, bodies molded together underneath the soft cottony sheets. The weakest of the sun's early morning rays filtered through the bedroom window in his yacht, bathing her pale skin in warm light. A single glance at her face revealed delicately parted peach lips, lightly fluttering eyelids framed in dark lashes, and a slight flush to her cheeks that were likely the result of what had transpired just last night.

Not even bothering to stop, he let his fingers do as they pleased — tracing over every arch and every bow; over every dip, bump, and delicate curve.

This was his second favorite activity in the morning…

Running his hands over her body — admiring a work of art. He would keep at it until she would respond. He would leave butterfly kisses across the skin he could effortlessly reach until her hot breaths against his neck would give way to a sultry soft moan — until those pretty lids would open and reveal irises fashioned out of warm melted chocolate.

He was busy mapping kisses across her neck spattered with light blue marks (his handiwork from last night), and he was slowly getting to her chin when he heard her sigh and hum. Smiling deviously against her supple skin, his grip on her waist (above the sheets) tightened, so he could pull her body closer — if that was still possible.

"G'morning." She mumbled, trying to shift into a more comfy position tucked against his side as he gradually rearranged himself so he was half on top of her.

"Morning." He watched her heavy eyes succumb to closing again and he laughed lightly under his breath. Such a stubborn morning person.

Nevertheless, she didn't protest when he tilted her chin up with a single finger, so he could lay a long and sweet kiss on her tempting lips. Pulling apart and leaving the barest of inches between them, he watched the corners of her mouth pull up into a small smile as she slowly opened her eyes to see the lovely blue of the ocean waters trapped in her lover's eyes.

"Class is in a few hours." The smile slowly morphed into a grin as she leisurely draped her arms across his shoulders, his body covering hers underneath the sheets.

He hummed in agreement while he resumed the previous task of leaving open-mouthed kisses across the length of her pale neck. Sighing in approval, she tilted her head at a certain angle to grant him more access — only half mindful of the dull ache some of the new hickeys were causing. The kisses traveled from her neck to her jaw and up to her ear, where his hot breath fanned against the sensitive skin and made her shiver.

"So what do you say we start the morning off with a bang?"

Her gasp when he nipped at her earlobe was just the start of his favorite morning song. He only chuckled deviously when she swatted his shoulder lightly — likely not impressed with his choice of words.

"Aster, why do you have to be such a pervert?"

She groaned when he only laughed quietly against her cheek. Her body shifted some more underneath him when his hands briefly glided over her supine form beneath the bed sheets and slowly parted her thighs, eager to indulge in the bliss that would slowly envelope them both once they started.

"Aster."

He loved hearing his name spill from her lips — even more so when she started calling for him in the throes of sexual pleasure. But the way she said it now made his heart clench pleasurably, and he easily leaned into her touch when she cupped his face in both of her hands, her own breath fanning teasingly against his lips as she brought their faces closer.

"What do you need, Love?" Was the quiet inquiry as he nuzzled her face.

"Won't you kiss me?"

They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, right before Aster didn't hesitate and slowly captured her sweet lips into a lingering and heavy kiss. Tongues entwining, drinking in each other's essence. A kiss so heady that it made Alexis' head spin — even behind closed lids. It was more than just the steady rocking of the yacht as it stayed in the docks. The scent, the feel, the _thought _of him was enough to dissolve the rest of her world into a swirling mess. Sometimes, she was even convinced that being with Aster Phoenix was some kind of drug to her body's system.

It was all pleasure… Pure _unadulterated _gratification.

With every kiss and every touch; thrust after thrust had her sighing and moaning, crying out his name again and again, like the most reverent of prayers, as he drove them both over the edge.

And yet another morning was spent in the indulgence of earthly pleasure.

Heavenly, messy, lovely sensual rapture…

**A/N: I HAD to get this out of my system. Mostly because I can't stop thinking about it. So I had to. I would have loved to write a full lemon, and perhaps I will in the not so distant future.**

**We'll just have to see…**

**And I know there aren't that many Rareshippers out there. But if there are… And if you stumbled across this, thanks for reading ;)**


	2. Hot Showers

**A/N: Just so we're clear. I'm going with Aster's manner of speaking in the English version. (Not Edo's). Aster literally says stuff like "m'man," "bro," "dude," "bling-bling," "booyah," etc. So, him saying "Baby" or "Babe" is not actually that weird if we go by that manner of speech. It would be ridiculous for Edo, yes. But for Aster, nuh-uh. ;)**

**Also, thank you, presea221 and Zero Slash One for leaving me some thoughts on the Reviews section. Very appreciated, and even though I **_**DO **_**stan Fianceeshipping because it's canon, I still say 'Jaden, who? xD' when Aster comes into the picture.**

'**Til next time. ;)**

* * *

**Hot Showers**

They liked to do it slow in the mornings…

But just because it was slow didn't mean it was any less tiring. She was always panting by the end of every coupling, chest heaving shallowly for air. Biting her lip, Alexis gingerly heaved herself up into a sitting position, leaning her back against the headboard as she ran a hand through her hair. A quick glance at her boyfriend revealed that he was busy with his phone again — probably sending emails or about to talk to his manager about some business arrangement.

In the midst of it all, she smiled; fully appreciating the fact that he always found time for her despite how hectic most of his days were. On the other hand, his professional dueling matches were at a lull at the moment. If she remembered correctly, she could recall him telling her that he wasn't going to compete until next week. So that left him to while away his time in Duel Academy, playing Mr. Student and indulging her in late night boat rides out into the middle of the ocean.

Smiling, she made to rest her head on his bare shoulder, which he understood and automatically made room for her. He had one arm slung around her, the other was holding the phone up to his ear.

Alexis could hear the phone ringing on the other end, and merely smiled as she busied herself with tracing random patterns on his chest, lightly grazing the smooth pale skin with her nails. It was nice to imagine that they could stay this way for the rest of the day — in bed and just enjoying each other's company. She tilted her head up just in time to see him flash a smile at her.

He laid a soft kiss on her forehead and was opening his mouth to say something, but the other person on the line called his attention away. She couldn't hear their _full _conversation, but judging from Aster's responses, it was obvious that it was about something important.

And speaking of _important_, she only had two hours tops to get ready for Tuesday morning's first class of the day. So after leaving a kiss on his shoulder and at the crook of his neck, she casually slipped away from his touch, silently marveling the cool and smooth feel of the tangled sheets beneath her legs.

Trying to locate her own clothes strewn across his bedroom floor was another matter. She _did _manage to find her underwear and Aster's discarded shirt that she'd pilfered last night. Slipping it on, she stretched out her body well and good, squeezing her thighs together and trying to suppress the flush that rose to her cheeks when leftover drops of cum slithered down her legs. She grabbed tissues out of a box on his nightstand and wiped herself off before heading for the adjoining bathroom adjacent to his chest of drawers and his closet; all while completely oblivious to the set of blue eyes watching her every single move.

It was easy to forget that they were still in Duel Academy, sometimes. And although he and Alexis had been successful at keeping the relationship discreet for some time, a part of him couldn't help but wonder if their other friends were clued in on what was going on between him and the Queen of Obelisk Blue — as she was called. They were discreet, but they weren't _secretive_. Sometimes he couldn't help himself and would steal a quick kiss from her out of the blue — in _public_.

Except… seeing her like this in the privacy of his bedroom was an entirely different matter, and he was hungry for more than just a chaste kiss. He loved seeing her all dressed up to the nines; plus, her everyday wear wasn't a bad thing either. But for sure, his favorite had to be her clad in nothing but her underwear and his black dress shirt, hair all tousled and her feet still bare.

"I don't recall saying we were finished, Lex. Plus, I was only giving you a breather."

Alexis groaned with her back turned to him. But she didn't have to turn around to see and know that her boyfriend was smiling at her teasingly, eyes glinting in some form of challenge. She loved him. She _really _did. But there were moments when she questioned her own sanity for dating somebody who was _practically _insatiable. It was annoyingly adorable sometimes — like now, but for the most part, it was actually a great bonus. In the right time and place, she had _no qualms _with Aster having his way with her all night long.

"We have school." She protested feebly, pausing halfway in her trek for the bathroom door, giving herself a perfect view of Aster's lovely face snickering at her from his place on the bed.

He rolled his eyes and shamelessly left the bed in nothing but his birth day suit to approach her.

"Nobody dies from missing a few classes now and then."

"Well, _I _might. Easy for you to say when you're living your life as a celebrity pro duelist."

A glance at Aster's face revealed the tiniest pout. "Don't be like that." His face brightened with an idea all of a sudden, and Alexis knew that whatever he had concocted in his brilliant mind wasn't going to do her resolve any favors. "We'll compromise. I'll just shower with you."

And there was the proposition she had been expecting… Of course. Still, she _would _be lying if she said she didn't enjoy every moment they had together. Where sex was involved, she absolutely had no complaints. It was as spontaneous as it was enough to ignite combustion at some point.

"Mhm. And you'll just take me all over again." Alexis commented, playfully rolling her eyes. But he put an end to her smart quips easily enough, and she ended up gasping when her partner slowly rubbed his fingers across her dripping slit.

He put his lips to her ear and kissed her there, catching her in time when her knees buckled and she was reduced to sighs of pleasure all over again.

"Well, I don't see you complaining, so let's go."

Alexis giggled as he easily lifted her off her feet and stepped into the bathroom…

vVvVv

Was it weird that despite the fact that she and Aster had been seeing each other for three months, bathing together had never been part of the equation until this point? Considering the physical nature of their relationship, it actually dawned on Alexis as a surprise that they never actually thought about doing this before.

And boy had they missed out apparently…

Who knew that the feel of warm water cascading down your body as your lover explored every inch of you with eager hands could be so erotic?

Through the beads of water that clung to her lashes, she watched — amused — as Aster's face shifted in and out of focus. Soaked silvery hair clinging to the sides of his high cheekbones, skin flushed from the shower humidity, eyes revealing the hunger that burned deep and ravenous in his soul.

Slick wet hands sliding over her bare waist, she eagerly welcomed his kiss, parting her lips in a silent invitation for his wet tongue. Her own arms around his shoulders while her fingers busied themselves with threading through his silver locks, fire and ice skittered across every nerve ending in her body. The cold shower walls pressing against her back was her only relief from the heat that threatened to overwhelm her as one of his hands slowly drifted from her waist and onto the back of her right knee.

He slowly lifted her leg, easily offering the crook of his elbow as her support for better balance. Hard panting breaths joined the cacophony of the pouring shower as she pressed herself to his body, using it as her anchor while she tried to regain her bearings. He slowly peppered her the side of her face with kisses as his hands worked to soothe her, rubbing leisurely against her most sensitive places. Soon, the light panting turned into soft cries of approval when his left hand slowly stroked her inner thigh. The fingers of his right hand were busy dipping into her quim, indulging in a different kind of wetness that the shower was sorely failing to give.

"Ah… Oh, Love. _Please_…" He grinned ridiculously at the sound of her pleading, equally relishing in the response he was getting down south. Her inner walls squeezed his fingers delightfully, and by now, he was positive her lovely folds wanted and _needed _something much more _appropriate _to squeeze.

"Speak louder, Baby. I can't hear you through the water." He mumbled into her ear, licking the shell afterward and grinning even more when her hold on him tightened and she obviously was trying to impale herself on his straining erection. And just to tease her, he shifted away. "You're so impatient, Lexi." He chided playfully, and yet, briefly brushed the tip of his cock against her swollen clit and the slightly parted slit.

"Ngh." She mewled in protest, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck, _breathing _on him as she worked the tips of her fingers in his scalp. "I need you. Inside me. _Please_."

"I love it when you say my name."

Oh, he was _such _a demanding _brat_… Alexis groaned in frustration. She only wanted him to take her. Was that such a hard request? Why did he have so many demands? But despite it all, his _dominance_, and the way he asserted himself spoke volumes about his personality — his general views on things. And it was part of the boy she loved.

Her striking silver star… _Her _Aster.

"Aster, _please_." She slowly cupped his face and kissed his cheek, his jaw, the shell of his ear. "Please. I need you inside me, Love. I want you to take me. Show me and remind me again who I belong to."

And if that was what she wanted, then _that _was what she was going to get… It was the breaking point.

He cupped her chin with his free hand, and drugged her with a slow and heavy kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth for a brief dance. With the water pounding down on them both, he seamlessly sheathed himself in her tight warmth, and his lover gasped at the fullness that resided inside her once again… It was so hot, and he was just so _hard_.

Parting ever so slightly, sighs of relief left their swollen lips just before they locked their lips together for another sultry kiss. Alexis moaned deliciously into his mouth as his hips took on a familiar gyrating motion, the tip of his cock rubbing all the right spots inside her.

Every nerve ending in her body could only scream for more. _More. More._

She wanted it hard. Needed it fast. And she told him as such.

He complied wordlessly and merely relented to her request and disregarded all manner of gentlemanly gestures in favor of hot unadulterated copulation.

They had their sweet time to make love in the comforts of his bed this morning. Now she just wanted to sate the primal need festering inside her being, centered around the lovely ache between her legs that her lover eagerly satisfied with each mind-numbing thrust.

"Oh, you're so good. Oh, Aster. Aster, yes!"

He was rutting and growling like an animal as he pounded into her. But oh hell. This felt _too good_, and the pleasure left no room for embarrassment. He paused for a second just to coax her into a different and more comfortable position. Now, with both of her legs wrapped around him, calves resting snugly above his hips, and her upper back leaning against the tiled walls, he watched his gorgeous vixen tilt her head back in utter satisfaction. Her breasts perking up in excitement, he didn't cease his frenzied motions, only all too aware of the squelching and the smacking echoing louder than the water from the shower head above them pounding onto the wet floor.

Leaning forward he took one breast into his mouth, using his tongue to play with the pert nipple, earning yet more hot moans from his sweet angel.

"Aster! Aster, I— I'm going… to… Oh, Aster I'm going to cum."

Grunting, he braced his legs on the wet floor and in his own excitement, released her breast with an obscenely wet pop as he leaned over her and sloppily kissed her.

"Stay with me." He panted, the heat around his cock felt so overwhelming he was almost convinced that he was going to combust. Jeez, when did the shower become so scalding? "Stay with me, Baby. I'm almost there."

"Aaah! Ngh. It feels… so… good. I— I can't. I can't, Aster. I'm going to cum."

"Then cum for me, Lexi. Show me how good you feel, and cum."

His voice was the final straw — her last anchor to sense as he, for lack of a better word, thoroughly f**ked her into oblivion. Her gasps of satisfaction and her keening moans coupled with how tight her soaked walls clamped around his swelling cock was enough to break him too. Thrusts rapidly losing all manner of synchronicity, he slammed his hips against hers one last time, burying his shaft all the way to the hilt, as his own release found him.

Alexis moaned and relished the sound of his sexy growl as her lover slowly moved his hips, almost as if he was massaging her insides. She could feel her inner walls twitch in pleasure as rope after rope of semen splattered the back of her womb. His seed felt so hot as it filled her. She could have sworn she felt some of it leak out of her.

There was so much of it…

Her belly felt hot and full, and she couldn't suppress a lazy smile…

Through half-lidded eyes, she watched his face as he doubled over her, chest heaving desperately for oxygen, lips parted slightly.

After a good minute, he slowly and gently put her down, slipping his flaccid cock out of her at the same time. Almost immediately she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung to him, half-skeptical about her own legs' strength to hold her up right now. She honestly felt weak and drowsy… in a good way. But for crying out loud, she _had to get to class!_

Thank god Aster wasn't dense. He easily held her up and against him, his fingers leisurely stroking her soaked blonde hair. Alexis buried her face into the crook of his neck, embracing him and pressing her lips to the skin just below his ear. After a couple more seconds of comfy silence and quietly lathering and rinsing each other underneath the shower downpour for the second time in the morning, Aster finally switched the shower off, reached for a fresh towel on the rack and wrapped it around his girlfriend to pat her dry.

He caught her looking at him in _that _way again. Staring at him with an expression he hadn't quite deciphered yet. Through strands of wet hair clumping all together, Alexis gave him his favorite smile — the smile he could _never _say _no _to (because, by the gods, she probably didn't know that she had him wrapped around her finger).

Intertwining their fingers together, he brought their joined hands up and laid a poignant and lingering kiss on the back of her ring finger, ocean blue meeting chocolate brown in the sudden quiet that filled the luxurious bathroom space.

The longer he stared, the more prone she was to blush. But for once, she didn't tear her eyes away from his — only all too content with the quiet intimacy they (and they alone) could share in a moment just like this.

"I really love you."

Aster only smiled when she caught herself at the last minute and ended up biting on her lower lip, a furious blush dusting her once pale cheeks. She clearly hadn't meant to say something so out of the blue. Clutching the towel tighter around her chest, she averted her eyes to look everywhere _but _at him, too shy to say a word.

But if anything could be said about Aster Phoenix, it was that he was far from wilting underneath awkward situations like a common _schoolboy_.

Placing a finger underneath her chin, he gently guided her face upwards so he could stare straight at her again with penetrating eyes that reminded her too much of the ocean she had slowly come to love. Leaning in, he kissed her lips sweetly and chastely.

"I really love you too…"


	3. The Madonna

**A/N: My thanks, presea221 & santos402 for leaving reviews…**

**This thing. Don't know where it came from. xD So I'm sorry if it will sound weird. xD It just started out with Aster being slightly protective over Alexis, and it eventually morphed into something else entirely.**

**Also, if anyone's curious. The timeline is set somewhere between season 2 and season 3 of the anime. So maybe before their second school year ends, and the whole Society of Light drama is over with.**

* * *

**The Madonna**

His exemplary traits included being very patient. Some of his fans would even say he was popular for it. How _else _could he put up with cameras and reporters in his face every five seconds after a match would end? How else would he still find it in him to smile even after an entire day of meet-and-greets?

Patience was just one of his virtues. And that was that.

But what most of these people didn't know was that there _were _a couple of things that got on the Dueling star's nerve once in a while.

And one of those things was the _blatant creepy _sort of affection that almost eighty-five percent of the males at Duel Academy had for _his _girlfriend.

There were times when Aster figured he was being too hard on them. But then again, who could blame the prepubescent children for _fawning _over the queen?

Alexis was a walking and talking bedroom fantasy — objectively speaking. He wasn't big on vanity, and he _definitely _did not primarily love her for the gorgeous looks and the assets (though it was certainly a nice bonus, of course). What _he _saw was potential, skill, conviction, passion, and a genuine concern for those who were precious to her — treating them like family. Hell, even Crowler — as obnoxious as he was. The fire that burned in _her _eyes whenever she was faced with a challenge — especially during duels — was quite the vision. Even _he _could vividly remember how _she _had stared him down during their would-be match (right before Jaden had interrupted the whole thing), strengthening her resolve to beat _him _for the sake of the students residing in Slifer Red.

Over time, he had actually found that he was _insanely _attracted to it. To _her_.

So, to see her adoring fans comprised mostly of males rubbed him the wrong way, to say the least.

There were cute crushes and there was admiration that was just _straight up _ridiculously stalker-level.

Just like that one time he had found a tin of half-baked sugar cookies lying around in front of her dorm room. She had assumed that _he _had brought them, but he showed her the accompanying note that came with it — something about the admirer worshiping her handwriting whenever he assisted teachers in checking papers, basically.

What kind of weirdo would think he could score points with _any _girl with a love letter like _that_?

Plus, the cookies were unappetizing.

But of course, since Lexi was all about being polite and _nice _to people (even if they weren't present), she had taken a bite out of the goodies. He only ever saw her finish one. Up to this day, Aster assumed she had thrown out the rest of it when he had left her for the night.

For the most part, she was polite in dealing with her admirers, even if Aster himself knew how uncomfortable she was when some guy would get _too _close.

Fortunately for her, most of her friends at the Academy were _male _for some reason (with the exception of Mindy and Jasmine, of course). And Aster was just counting his lucky stars that the majority of Alexis' male group was more obsessed about Duel Monsters than they were about noticing any girl with the hots for them. Zane and Jaden were _prime _examples of that. Although, Aster _did _suspect that the two held some form of attraction to Alexis, but again, he didn't blame them either. Hell, _Chazz _was head over heels in love with her and had been trying his hardest to win her affections. The rich boy had mellowed out a bit now, but Alexis told him of a time when Princeton went as far as challenging her to a Duel to determine her relationship status with him.

All those guys _pining _for her affection, and somehow (for _some _reason), Alexis Rhodes was his to love.

But the part Aster was curious the most about was if there were students in Duel Academy who _at least _suspected that he and Alexis were dating. It didn't matter if it was public or not, since they weren't exactly keeping it under wraps, but the fact that even _Atticus _was oblivious to the relationship tickled Aster's curiosity. Because if he and Lexi weren't bothering to hide it, then that could only mean everybody was _blind _or just not perceptive enough.

He never displayed his affections in such a way that would immediately give everyone the confirmation that they were dating. But someone _had _to have _noticed _something right?

Alexis always sat next to him in every group gathering — especially at lunch. He wasn't hiding the fact that he was always offering to pay for most of her meals. There were instances when his hand would subconsciously place itself at the small of her back. And there were times when Alexis would casually (and out of the blue) straighten his neck tie or just fix the collar of his black dress shirt.

Frankly speaking, if _he _were around _two _people like that in a group, he would have figured out that something was going on by now.

But either they already knew and _nobody _was confronting them out of respecting other people's business, or they really were clueless. And as more days passed, Aster was beginning to suspect the latter. It couldn't be the former. Not when you knew someone like Jaden — a person who had traits akin to that of an amusingly excited puppy. The brunette would have asked to spill the beans by now if he noticed anything.

He could care less if they knew or cared at all. But he was curious, and frankly, he had never asked Alexis' thoughts on the matter. She was obviously an honest and frank person, so he was wondering if her friends not getting the hint (or not knowing) technically bothered her.

Maybe they should just tell them outright…

But how _do _you go about announcing stuff like that out of randomness? It would be so weird — not to mention, awkward and embarrassing for everybody involved.

So perhaps it was best to just be honest about it when someone just so happened to ask…

Aster just wouldn't have guessed that that moment would come _right now_.

Or at least, that's what Aster was assuming.

Maybe he could find out better if Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry weren't pushing each other around about who was going to talk first.

"Can't one of you just _spit it out _already?" Chazz suddenly snarled, complete with a vein throbbing in his head.

Syrus and Hassleberry were still in the middle of their who-gets-to-ask-the-question contest while Jaden was trying to make himself invisible by stuffing his face with fried shrimp. And as for Alexis, well, she was busy trying not to laugh at their antics, while also inwardly _trying _to suppress the urge to smack her brother upside the head for planting ideas in her friends' minds and for starting the conversation that led to the most awkward lunchtime of the century.

Not that she could point fingers at Atticus. Her brother had been an avid fan of her and Chazz getting together. And most recently, he was fixated on the off chance that she and Jaden would realize they had feelings for one another and just start dating. That had led him to start listing off some pretty observant facts that; ones that included her talking to somebody over the phone sometimes and her being _too _happy and giddy for some reason. Two inconclusive facts, if you had to ask her. Perhaps her brother just had a hunch. So Atticus and his brilliant presumptions led to the conclusion that she was seeing someone.

Well, he wasn't wrong in that regard. She wasn't, by any means, ashamed to come out with it, but she _was _surprised that it took her brother this long to notice anything different. Not that her actions were any cause for concern, in the first place.

Glancing at the silver-haired boy eating quietly next to her, Alexis noticed the spark of curiosity glimmering in his blue eyes. He may look complacent and passive, but he was actually paying attention.

"Alexis, not to pry. But, well—" Syrus began hesitantly, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. And while the rest of the gang pretended to pay attention to the food, it was still pretty obvious that they were listening. Far too intently for normal standards. "— since Atticus brought it up, are you really…"

Zane's hesitant little brother trailed off. And almost as if on cue, every eye ever so slightly shifted towards her. Only Aster was unperturbed as he kept scrolling through his phone.

"Am I really seeing somebody?" She smiled politely.

"Are you?" Chazz asked a little too quickly.

Aster pursed his lips, trying to hide the laugh that threatened to spill. The Chazz was _way _into this conversation more than he liked to admit. Glancing at Alexis, he noticed the bright red flush across her cheekbones, as she nodded once in confirmation. Thus, it was through this method that Aster's earlier presumptions were affirmed. One, she would never lie to her close friends. And two, they really _had _been clueless all along.

Wow. Daft. Even by _their _standards…

It was like someone dropped a whole lot of egg sandwiches on their table as everybody's faces erupted in chaos. It was a war of emotions and reactions, really. From pleasant surprise to _rabid _curiosity.

Was it _supposed _to be this much of a surprise? He didn't see the big deal, honestly. It's not like they had a say on who Alexis _should _be dating. As far as he was concerned, who she dated was _her _decision — her _choice_. And she chose Aster.

So, what?

"Nooo~" Chazz wailed, burying his head into his arms miserably.

"Well, I'll be!" Hassleberry grinned, a feral light in his eyes.

"Can say I wasn't expecting _that_." Jaden commented through a mouthful of rice.

"Is it my brother?" Syrus piped up with wide eyes, expectantly waiting for an answer.

Atticus cradled his chin in one hand and smiled knowingly at his sister. "Who's the lucky guy, Lex?"

Aster poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, looking at Alexis expectantly and _still _trying to shove the laughter down. The reactions were comical — not to mention over the top. Chazz's was expected, because his infatuation for Alexis ran _deep_. Jaden was just mildly surprised — something Aster didn't expect. Syrus' reaction was perhaps the most intriguing.

Why would he assume that she was dating Zane Truesdale?

He knew they were close last year, and right up to the point before Truesdale had donned the moniker of Hell Kaiser, but still— It was interesting, to say the least.

Still blushing, the school's lovely Madonna cleared her throat and elbowed Aster's side sharply.

"It's him." Alexis jerked her chin towards Aster, who looked _infuriatingly _calm despite the life-changing announcement. Well, at least for _some _people it was life-changing.

To say that they were surprised was the understatement of the year. More like they were gobsmacked. As if an ostrich randomly jumped on top of their table and laid a giant egg. It was that kind of reaction.

And yet again, Aster failed to see why it was _such a big deal_.

"You're dating _Aster_?" Syrus all but yelled. By some miracle, the loud exclamation was drowned by the louder drone of conversation in the crowded school cafeteria.

"Sam Hill!"

"No way!" Jaden's grin nigh split his face from ear to ear. "For how long?"

"A couple of months." Aster shrugged nonchalantly, sipping from the pouch of black tea he brought with him.

"_Him? _What does _he _have that _I _don't?" Chazz wailed. And maybe if you squinted _just enough_, you could see the slightest river of tears streaming down his face like a wavy waterfall.

"I don't think you want me to _answer that _Chazz, so let's move on." Was Aster's quip, only slightly put off at Chazz's somewhat judgmental remark.

"Aster." Alexis frowned at her boyfriend and his smart mouth. Chazz was frustrated enough as he was. He didn't need more flack.

The silver-haired boy's only response was a sheepish smile.

"So, tell me, Lex. Why were you hiding it for so long?" Atticus asked curiously, eyeing the couple more closely now that the cat was out of the bag.

"We weren't."

"I'm surprised it took you guys this long to figure it out." Aster shrugged. "Especially since we never did anything to hide in the first place."

"That's because you guys never do couple-y stuff." Syrus piped up, and Aster gave him a look.

"It's called 'not being obnoxious.'" Aster cocked an eyebrow, arms folded across his chest. "And I don't think Alexis would appreciate it if I randomly started snogging her in front of _everybody— _Ow!"

Alexis was frowning at him as he rubbed the assailed spot on his arm gingerly after she swatted him there.

"Okay, maybe that was not the best visual." He commented between chuckles, flashing his girlfriend a tiny smile. "Sorry."

"Well, it's not as if it's a _huge deal_. It's just that." Alexis shrugged. Her statement earned gapes from pretty much everybody in the group.

"Not a huge _deal_?" Hassleberry yelped. "You're dating a celebrity, Lexi!"

Aster quickly reverted his gaze to his leftover food, completely missing the slight crease that appeared between Alexis' brows. She wasn't very keen on that fact. Plus, she wasn't with Aster because of the money. She _genuinely _harbored feelings for him. And even if Hassleberry obviously didn't mean for it to sound that way, it still made her grimace slightly, knowing Aster's own thoughts on _that _matter.

Thank the gods for Atticus being such a perceptive older brother and abruptly switching the topic of conversation into something much more light-hearted and less heavy for the two.

"Oh, well. At least you found love in not just dueling." Atticus laughed. "Was honestly worried about you there for a second, Lex."

It started with Jaden just snickering, before the laughter eventually encompassed their entire table — even managing to wring a couple of chuckles out of the still downtrodden Chazz. And in the middle of it all, both Aster and Alexis shared a small smile, relieved that the reveal wasn't as messy as they had both anticipated it would be.


	4. My Summer Love

**A/N: presea221, thank you so much for expressing your thoughts in the reviews section. And thank you to you, for reading this. Rareshippers are **_**rare **_**enough as it is. (Did I unintentionally make a pun? Not sure. If I did, I didn't mean to do it xD)**

**Setting for this is summer vacation between season 2 and 3 ;)**

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**My Summer Love**

Her second year at Duel Academy had been crazy… Not as crazy as the days when her brother disappeared, but still crazy enough to make her question her own sanity. But while sophomore year had been a truthful roller coaster, she wouldn't deny that it was probably also one of the best school years of her life.

The highlight?

Meeting the love of her life.

And now that summer vacation was just around the corner, nearly every student at Duel Academy was busy packing up their things to bring with them at home, and of course, discussing vacation plans for the rest of the months where the majority of them were going to be unoccupied.

All that discussion about where to spend summer vacation had Alexis thinking about the previous summer she spent. It had been trips to the beach with family and friends — alternately. That with the occasional side dish of putting up with Atticus' fan girls. Plans for this summer, however, were still bit awry. And it was mostly because she was still considering two options. One was to stay at home with her family. The other was to take up Aster in his offer and fly with him to wherever.

The prospect of the latter actually happening still turned her insides to goop. She had yet to ask for permission from her parents, but Alexis knew it in her heart that she wanted to go. It wasn't everyday that you got to go in adventures across the world — no matter how brief the time. But more than anything, she was just more excited about the thought of going to those places _with _her boyfriend.

Aster was booked solid in his matches for the next two years, and while the full-time Professional Dueling had taken a bit of a backseat because of his enrolment in Duel Academy, it was going to start swinging back in full force when the Summer season would kick-start.

She didn't have Aster's schedule memorized, but she could tick off a few. And even then, just from the sound of it, one could already tell how important those events were going to be for his career. The first stop was actually happening in two weeks in San Francisco, California. He was officially invited by Industrial Illusions to compete in the Gold Tier of the tournament the company was hosting for the Summer. The next event wasn't exactly related to Dueling in an arena, per se. More like he was invited as an honorary judge for some reality TV show in New York that featured up and coming kid Duelists. The succeeding schedules revolved around various matches happening in Eastern Europe, interviews on live television and on radio, a couple of business meetings, guest appearances on people's YouTube channels, etc.

It was the gist of it, and they were only a few of what she could recall from a long list attached to a clipboard.

When Aster had propositioned that she join him, she had refused at first, insisting that she didn't want to be a bother (although secretly she'd pictured herself traveling the world on a vacation of sorts, but with her own money). It was only through some manner of persuasion did she eventually relent and they'd compromised with letting the legal adults have the final say. Two days ago, Aster received the green light from his manager and his agent on letting her tag along. But she had yet to get consent from _her _parents.

She was hoping they'd say yes. It wasn't like she and Aster were going to get into trouble or anything. He would be busy with his events while she got to while away her time as she wished. Finding time for romance in the middle of that hectic schedule was the bonus, and all the incentive she and Aster really needed. It would be the better option rather than staying at home and making do with seeing her boyfriend via video call.

"I heard Chazz is vacationing in Germany with his brothers." Mindy was gushing to Jasmine as the two worked on flipping through the available channels on TV while Alexis was busy organizing the remainder of her things that were going to stay behind.

"If only we were _that _rich." Jasmine snorted, stopping at a channel that involved selling beauty products.

"What are _your _plans for the summer, Lex?" Mindy asked, eyeing Alexis knowingly as the blonde tried to suppress a blush from overtaking her face.

"I bet she's got something planned with Aster." Jasmine grinned as Alexis stopped what she was doing momentarily and resumed her task with organizing.

"Aster will be busy this Summer. And even if we _did _have something planned, my parents will still get the final say, you know." Well, it wasn't a lie. She had yet to tell her family where she was going to spend all of three months, and whom she was going to spend it _with_.

But in essence, Alexis should have chosen her words carefully, because it did her no favors other than more teasing, weighed down by heavy sexual innuendos. She knew that her two female friends had no idea or any confirmation about what went on in the bedroom between her and Aster, but the very fact that there _was _truth to their teasing could be too much sometimes.

No one need know of how his touch could dissolve her into nothing more than a puddle of moans and ecstatic shivers. The way they surrendered themselves to each other, how they kissed, how their bodies just seemed to fit into the other, and how they went about making slow sweet love (or just screw each other _hard_) was theirs to know and no else's.

So Alexis endured the teasing…

And she was glad that she did…

A week after school was done and after their sophomore years had officially closed, Alexis received consent by some miracle, only getting off with a warning to "use protection, just in case." Did she mention that it was _insanely embarrassing _when her parents and Atticus figured out that she was leaving Domino to gallivant off for three months with her beau?

In any case, she was glad they just said yes…

And so days and weeks spent traveling by all manner of transportation had begun.

Their flight from Japan to the West Coast of America was mostly her nodding off into Aster's shoulder, waking up only briefly to eat food or have brief conversations with him. The first stop was San Francisco, and Aster immediately jumped into conditioning and prepping for the barrage of match-ups. And in moments were she couldn't come with him, Alexis busied herself wandering the streets of sunny California, picking up souvenirs or cute trinkets to take with her as memorabilia. For the most part, she watched his duels on TV or in a VIP booth.

They fell into similar patterns over the course of the succeeding travels to new places. And each and every brand new display made her see more and more how big the world was, and how lucky she was to be experiencing even a fraction of it for real. And it was all thanks to one proposition.

She had to give him props for being excellent with time management though. Aster never missed a beat, and whenever he had the time, they'd taken long walks along the beach, probably had a moment or two to themselves where they nearly got carried away and almost did it in the sand. There were shopping trips, trying new food, late night escapades where Aster would take a rented car and they would just go on a brief road-trip throughout the city together (because apparently Aster Phoenix had his driver's license in the United States), and of course, cliched moments that involved lying next to each other on the grass and just staring at the night sky on one of their late night stops.

Every day of that three-month journey was an exhilarating experience. And every night spent together was absolute bliss. (Not all the time since she'd clocked him over the head once for suggesting they join the Mile High Club on the next flight).

Although, she _would _be lying if she said the bedroom antics hadn't gotten a little crazy on a few occasions. Satiation didn't belong in their vocabulary when it came to having one another. The raunchiest sexual escapade they'd had was when they were in New York and her boyfriend had a full day off. To say that they spent all day in bed was an understatement. To this day, Alexis was still convinced they'd entered that hotel room and left it along with the rest of the furniture traumatized. He'd shown her then that he didn't do anything by halves. He promised she would be uttering his name for the rest of that day, and he hadn't been wrong.

It was safe to say that she'd lost count of the times she'd cried his name again and again as he took her in the bed, the couch, the kitchen counters, the bathtub, the shower stall, right up against the walls or the doors, and for crying out loud, against the floor to ceiling tinted windows.

But all manner of her own jokes aside, she really was grateful for the opportunity to spend her summer with him. It was like living inside the lyrics of a pop song — seemingly endless days of fun under the sun, and nights spent beneath the sheets tangled up in each other's limbs and bodies. Sometimes she felt so happy she'd caught herself shedding a tear or two. Her suitcases were filled to the brim with travel presents, and Atticus' new pair of shoes (because he'd asked her for them) along with some of her clothes.

Aster's last country stop was in the UK, where he was set to participate in qualifying matches for next year's Grand Prix in Europe. There was no ranking for that one — just a full list of the final participants who would return the next year for the grand battle royale system — between the best of the best. It was a continental tournament by all means. But Aster received an invitation along with a handful of other professional Duelists from across the world to compete. The intention was for publicity of the event and entertainment value, obviously. The organizers didn't go wrong there. Aster's duels alone could fill an auditorium with screaming hordes of fan girls. Alexis found it amusing — as long as none of them were throwing themselves at him aggressively.

Duels left and right took place within the next week, and as expected, Aster made it to the list — with a winning streak of 15 duels to boot and European sponsors clamoring for his attention left and right. Proposals for starring in product ads and to be featured in magazine and TV interviews were the constant shenanigans that she had watched her boyfriend deal with after the tournament had ended. It was like a last minute hurrah before school was set to start up again in three weeks.

Tonight, after a long string of meet-and-greets for Aster and another solo sight-seeing trip for Alexis, the couple sat on the couch snuggled up under a blanket together in the hotel suite, watching a random movie on TV.

"Was that the last of it, or do you have other events tomorrow?" Alexis asked curiously, her toes curling underneath the warmth of the blanket, glancing briefly up at Aster as his eyes darted to the ceiling in thought.

He covered his mouth and yawned before returning his hand to where it had been, stroking Alexis' hair leisurely. "I don't know yet, honestly. Something could pop up at the last minute. But if there isn't, then it's safe to say I'll be free to do whatever for the next three days we've got left before we fly back to Domino."

She released a melancholic smile, her gaze traveling from the TV to the spectacular view of the rest of London through the glass windows — shrouded in darkness and dotted with little pops of light. The London Eye was visible from here, right along with Big Ben — a city fixture that always reminded Alexis of Aster's infamous field spell card. Being out here and significantly far away from the hustle and bustle of home felt like she was living within a dream. It was easy to forget that she was still a student — still had two years worth of schooling in Duel Academy to finish before she would set out to find her own path. Spending all this free time with Aster and traveling from one place to another had felt like living inside a song.

But now that song was slowly coming to an end…

It still felt surreal somehow.

"A part of me wishes we could stay like this forever. It feels like a dream." She turned back to face her lover and nuzzle the side of his head affectionately as her hand rested comfortably above his abdomen.

"Enjoying the hectic life, eh?" He chuckled, readjusting himself so she could fit more snugly into his side as his hand wandered from her hair to her arm, tracing patterns across soft skin.

"It's a good change of pace from the usual drone of lessons." She smiled. "Not to mention a great learning curve."

"Well, to be honest, I like the change of pace when I enrolled at Duel Academy too. I guess you can say it was fun to wake up for once and just think about the classes you'd have to sit through that day. Don't get me wrong. I love competing and traveling all around the world, but too much of it can be exhausting too."

Alexis nodded in agreement, cupping his jaw to turn his head towards her so they could share a sweet kiss.

"Thank you for bringing me along with you." She murmured into his mouth, pecking his sweet lips again to express her gratitude — though she knew that there were far more pleasurable ways.

"Seeing you through some screen is a poor excuse for not having you." His hand cupped the back of her neck as he moved in to kiss her again. "And I think you can agree."

She sighed into his mouth as their lips glided over one another in a rhythm and a pattern that they were both familiar with by now. Tongues tangling together, she moaned into his mouth as his heavenly scent enveloped her senses. His hand comfortably rested on the small of her back, inching closer and closer to her bottom with each passing second as she heaved herself up so she was on her knees and straddling his lap. Barely pulling back from the kiss with a thin string of saliva connecting their mouths, she took a moment to admire his lovely face, smiling mischievously when she closed a hand around his wrist as he was about to grab her and flip her over onto the couch.

"Relax, Love. You need this." Her finger slowly worked themselves on his scalp, threading through locks of silver hair while her other hand was busy mapping out his body to reach his belt.

In acquiescence, Aster tilted his head back and groaned in appreciation for Alexis' sultry efforts. With eyes closed, he heard the buckle of his belt come undone and his fly being zipped open. A louder moan escaped when her talented hand palmed his half-hard cock still restrained within his boxers. She slowly worked her strokes back and forth, quietly mesmerized with how he was getting harder and growing bigger with each passing second.

"Lex."

Was that a _whine_?

She smiled slowly at the strain evident in Aster's voice, and decided he'd had enough being teased through his clothes. And frankly speaking she'd had enough of touching him through his boxers too. He easily complied when she coaxed him to lift his hips and slide the last material restraining his erection off.

He hissed loudly when his cock sprang free, and sighed in appreciation when he felt her soft and warm hand close around the hot shaft. Up and down it went, and he couldn't resist watching her tease him so wickedly. Without releasing her hold on his cock, she got down on her knees on the floor and pressed her finger to the tip of the weeping head. He was just about ready to tell her to take him in her mouth already, but he stopped himself from doing it, _refusing _to beg for pleasure when he knew she would give it to him anyway.

Five torturous seconds passed with her grinning deviously and the tip of one finger pressing teasingly on the tip of his cock, rubbing back and forth across the slit, collecting every drop of pre-cum. She'd had enough (_finally_) and wrapped her lips around the weeping head. His response was to thread his fingers through her hair and moan in an obscenely loud fashion.

The sight of her watching him coyly with his cock slipping in and out of her hot mouth was an erotic vision, one that nearly had him cumming. Her fingers worked expertly on kneading his sack as she gave him head, smiling to herself at the sound of Aster groaning and sighing above her — at the feel of him writhing underneath her touch, eager for release. She could tell he was barely keeping himself from thrusting carelessly in and out of her mouth, but she appreciated his restraint, and she resolved to give him even more of the pleasure — one that would fill her mouth with his hot seed. Working towards that goal, she let his shaft slip out of her mouth for a while so she could graze her tongue along the underside of his cock.

"Ngh! Aah! You're so— So good at this, Lex." Aster sighed, tucking stray locks of blonde hair behind her ear and caressing the side of her face leisurely as he watched her take his cock into her mouth over and over again.

Who knew that such a mild-mannered and courteous person could be such a sex kitten in their moments alone?

He silently preened at the fact that he was the only person who got to see her like this; who had borne witness to her vulnerabilities and her feral side; who had seen both flaw and perfection in equal amounts.

She was pleasuring him with her mouth now, but he couldn't wait to slip off her panties and pleasure _her _in the best way possible. Picturing her lovely face contort in rapturous pleasure with her legs around him, the two of them connected in the most intimate of ways did just the trick. He could feel the coil in his stomach growing tighter, his balls getting heavier.

"Lexi, I— I'm going to—"

His cock left her mouth with a wet pop as she drew back and gave him a smile, her fingers relentless in their pursuit to get him to cum.

"Don't hold back, Babe."

The familiar sensation of his cock entering her mouth and her tongue grazing the hot column of flesh was the last straw. Gasping and letting loose with a loud moan, Alexis smiled and let him reach his climax inside her mouth. Catching the spurts of semen with her tongue, she let the rest of it slide down the back of her throat, before she slipped him out of her mouth, his cock glistening under the low light. Leaving one last kiss on the tip, she rose to her feet and ignored his hands trying to grab her as she slipped her panties off under her dress in one fluid motion.

She gasped in pleasant surprise when his hands closed around her waist and brought her to his lap, his half-hard cock pressed between them. He pulled her into a wet kiss as his hands slowly unzipped the back of her dress so he could slip it over her head with ease. Her own fingers were preoccupied undoing the rest of the buttons on his dress shirt. When the clothes were strewn all over the floor, and there was nothing but bare skin between them, she pulled away from the kiss to breathe and sigh in pleasure at his ministrations.

Alexis half-yelped half-squealed when Aster's fingers found their way to her leaking pussy. One finger slipped in, and then another — until he was slowly stroking her insides while he stimulated her clit with the pad of his thumb.

"Aster." She whined, arching her back as she impaled herself even further into his probing appendages.

"You're dripping wet, Lexi." He growled against her skin and nipped her ear lightly. "You liked blowing me, didn't you?"

She only moaned, the flush on her cheeks growing stronger as all sense of propriety slowly left her mind. Just her and Aster. She could be as loud as she wanted.

"Inside me. Please. Ngh." She pleaded, slowly gyrating her hips to match the movement of his fingers as her own hand found its way to his cock again.

"Ride me, Baby." He whispered into her mouth as he placed his free hand on top of the one she had around his cock.

She nearly came from those three words. And the fact that she wanted it so bad — was visibly _aching _for it — was proof of how much she needed him inside her to calm her restlessness. She let him guide his cock to her soaked folds, and they both sighed in relief when he smoothly sheathed himself inside her.

Her walls clenched around him delightfully, grateful for the intrusion. And he relished the tight, hot, and gloriously wet walls that clamped down on his shaft. It felt so damn good, and he told her so as he kissed her lips again, tongues entwining in a fit of delightful passion. Wrapping her arms securely around him, Alexis slowly began moving, undulating her hips and moaning into his mouth as his cock ground against her in all the right places. Aster returned her motions in kind and burrowed deeper into her with every motion of her hips, thrusting upwards each time she let up the tiniest bit.

"It feels so good." She cried, arching her back and pushing her chest outwards as she ground their hips together.

His hands that had been placed firmly on her waist to aid her motions slowly slid up and cupped each of her breasts — kneading the lovely and fleshy mounds in firm and sensual strokes. He spent time stimulating her breasts and listening to her loud cries before he let his hands drift south again, and this time, focused on running his hands over the curves of her lovely derriere.

Basking in the heat of his affection and his caresses, she kept up her pace, sinking flawlessly into his cock each time. He was _so _hard, and she was _so _wet. She liked feeling full all the way inside — as long as it was Aster plowing her into Nirvana. His hands running over her flesh, her bottom, his fingers leaving teasing caresses on her sensitive nipples ripped gasp after gasp and moan after moan from her kiss-swollen lips. Sex with her Love was just _that _good. And it pleased her to know that he _loved _doing this with her and _to _her.

"Oh, Aster! I— I can't hold on any longer. I— I— Oh! You feel so so good. So _hot_. And hard. And— Oh! Yes! Yes yes yes!"

"F**k. You're so tight today." He grunted as he firmly held her hips and pounded her upwards, providing momentum to her bouncing. "So wet…" And how soaked, indeed, The smacking and the squelching were telling enough, and hell, if it didn't turn him on even more. "So wet… For me. Ungh!"

"Aster, I— I'm coming! Oh!"

"Cum with me, Baby. Oh, f**k. F**k. F**k. Oh, f**k."

Her body abruptly collapsed on top of his, her arms around his shoulders as her inner walls began to clench and squeezed his cock so tightly. Stream after stream of semen flooded her insides and filled her womb to the brim all over again. So hot. And so full. And just so damn good.

Body still trembling from the effect of a mind-shattering orgasm, she settled comfortably in his lap, burrowing his twitching cock deeper into her as she wrapped her whole body around him. He was leaving kisses on her face in his post-climactic high an made to slip out of her at the same time, but her grip on him only tightened.

"Don't pull out yet. Please, Love. I need you inside me."

She wasn't excited about feeling physically empty just yet. Besides, she knew she wasn't the only one who liked the thought of them being joined together so intimately after sex.

She sighed into his skin, and unintentionally clenched her walls around his sensitive cock again, earning a surprised gasp from him. But he didn't protest and only held her tighter, wiping drops of sweat from her hairline as he shifted her around so their bodies could fit more seamlessly together on the couch. The room echoed their act, smelling of sweat and sex, but they could hardly care.

The vacation was slowly coming to a close. But to them, it was just the start of lovely couplings for the three days they had left before flying back to Domino — back to their reality.


	5. The Lady Killer

**A/N: This one takes place **_**during **_**the Aster-Alexis summer vaca. They're probably in New York. I say probably because I wasn't thinking too hard on the setting while I was writing this. Just knew that it was in the US and it's probably in the middle of Aster's summer tour schedule.**

**Again, thank you presea221 and UltimateWarriorFan4Ever for expressing your thoughts so far. :) I appreciate it.**

**This chap is another classic case of different plans in the beginning, and then once I started writing without checking back for consistency, it morphed into something else. xD But I'm fine with it.**

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**The Lady Killer**

Alexis liked to think that she could understand Aster's plight whenever it came to the women who constantly fawned over him. While hers weren't exactly at an overwhelming magnitude like his were, she still had people in school — particularly males — who worshiped the ground her feet would step on. And as uncomfortable as it made her feel, she'd often found trouble trying to persuade them to _not _do things like that.

For one, she wasn't very comfortable with being treated like a queen. Sure, she appreciated the fact that her dueling skills were being admired, but she would also be the first to admit that she had more to improve on. And frankly speaking, she was in the same level as the rest. They were all students.

Her plight sided mostly on the fact that she thought she didn't deserve her admirers' attention at all. Aster, as patient and as accommodating as he was to his fans, was only human at the end of the day. And humans could get annoyed too.

In the presence of children clamoring for his autograph, adults and other budding pros who wanted to shake his hand, and hordes and hordes of squealing fan girls, her boyfriend always did a wonderful job of maintaining gentlemanly calm. But the slight fissures in his expression (only evident to those who knew him well) could tell that the attention could overwhelm him, too.

For the most part, she didn't mind all the attention he was receiving from the opposite sex. Because to be fair, who _wouldn't _admire the smarts and the physical features — though she rarely told him that. His ego was big enough as it is. As long as there was a clear and distinctive line, Alexis had no issues.

It wasn't always like that though. He always had moments where fans would forget that Aster didn't really know them beyond the get-to-know stage and one or two would hug him a little too tight or kiss his cheek. Sometimes worse, since security, courtesy of the Senrigan group, had to step in and pry the obsessed fan girl away from one of their star players. To say that she wasn't genuinely annoyed would be a lie.

Obviously, there were people in this world who keep forgetting that celebrities were people too… They were just more famous than the rest.

But all those instances couldn't hold a candle to this _one _specific moment in time.

"Aster, I think some girl managed to get a hold of your phone number again." Alexis spoke hesitantly, silently scrutinizing the obnoxious and overly flirty text message.

_Hey, Sweetheart_

_It's Karen. U remember me, don't you?_

_Heard u're in the US. Hit me up for a booty call whenever. ;) xoxoxo_

Alexis was supposed to be using his phone to order them some pizza for dinner, but this was hell of a lot more interesting. Not to mention quite bold. It wasn't like it was a direct message on his social media account. It was an _actual _message sent to his _personal _phone number. How did this…Karen girl even get a _hold _of Aster's number?

And a booty call? Seriously?

The sound of her boyfriend's chuckle was muffled as it joined the clattering of cutlery in the kitchen. "Does she have a name?"

"Karen?"

Alexis looked up just in time to see her boyfriend walk into the living space, sipping black tea out of a pouch again, with one hand around the water bottle and a candy bar she'd asked for earlier. Setting the items down on the coffee table and switching the television on to some news channel, he plopped down on the couch and peeked over Alexis' shoulder, amused as he watched her scroll like a mad woman through his phone.

"Karen, hm?"

"Is it something I should know about, Phoenix?" She turned to him, cocking an eyebrow after she tossed his phone between them and crossed her arms while giving him the kind of look that only girlfriends could give their boyfriends.

But Aster being Aster only laughed at her annoyance. Alexis didn't appreciate it…

Too bad he found her jealousy adorable.

"You're too cute when you're jealous, Lexi." He grinned crookedly at her; finally sighed and resorted to explaining when she wouldn't drop her unimpressed stares that usually had boys like Chazz, Syrus, and Hassleberry running for cover. "Don't stress over it. She's just an ex."

Shrugging nonchalantly, he gave her the candy bar and pretended to ignore the bewildered expression she wore.

"I thought you said—"

"That you're my first girlfriend?" His lips lifted into a wry smirk. "Yeah, Lex. You are. And hopefully, you're my last, too. Karen's an ex-fling — to answer your question frankly."

_An ex-_fling?! _What the hell? Did that mean—_

Still furiously blushing from his words, Alexis grabbed the first throw pillow she got her hands on and smacked Aster's lap.

"So you were—"

"Don't judge me!" Aster protested right before she could even finish. "It's what naturally happens when the adults around you leave you to your own devices. Not like you and I are any better when we're alone."

Bright red turned into straight up tomato as the blush inflamed her entire face. How the _hell _does he always manage to leave her flustered no matter what he does or says? And plus, their… 'escapade' a couple of days ago wasn't exactly a fun memory to bring up in the middle of conversations like this. It was a hot and exciting memory under different circumstances. But in this one, nuh-uh.

"How long ago, then?" Alexis asked, annoyance giving way to curiosity instead.

Eyes still trained to the television, he nonchalantly shrugged. "The middle of last summer probably."

"So a year ago."

"Pretty much…"

One year was a long stretch of time, and a lot _can _happen in twelve months. But for some odd reason, this new revelation into Aster's life before they'd gotten together pushed unseen buttons in her mind, triggering a bout of insecurity she'd never thought she'd ever feel. She thought she was used to women throwing themselves at Aster by now, but she supposed she could surprise even herself. Despite his claims that this unknown woman contacting him was nothing more than a past 'fling,' she still felt a little uneasy.

It wasn't the other girl, per se. It was more on the fact that Aster actually _had _a fling (or more than one that he never thought to bring up — not that she wanted to know in the first place).

So who's to say she wasn't just another notch on his bedpost?

Still, Alexis fought to squash the ugly thoughts surfacing in her head. She shouldn't feel _this _way. She and Aster made it clear before they officially dated that she harbored deep feelings for him — and it was called 'love.' Plus, he returned her sentiments too, didn't he? And in more than words too. His actions spoke _volumes_.

Aster watched her closely — watched the emotions fly subtly across her face, and could immediately tell what she was possibly thinking. Still, she wasn't seriously considering that he'd only think of her as a fling, was she?

"Lexi?"

The thoughtful look on her face never wavered, and Aster's previous amusement instantly melted away at the thought of causing her distress. _This _was why he never deigned to bring up his previous hook-ups — not that he had many in the first place. Before Alexis, he'd slept with two people. On top of the fact that _those didn't matter_, they would only plant wrong assumptions in people's minds. And even if he loved her so, he couldn't help feeling a little hurt that she was probably already forming some alternate perception of him in her mind.

"Baby, please look at me."

"You—" Alexis swallowed around the lump that formed in her throat, and sucked in a big lungful of air before blurting out. "I know we've been seeing each other for months now, but— I- I—" She couldn't look at him. She was scared of what his face might reveal. "I'm not just a fling, am I?"

Aster's face visibly crumpled at the sudden shift in their atmosphere.

"Alexis, please don't think that way." Was the soft plea before the television was put on mute and her hands were suddenly encased in his familiar grip, prompting her to look up at him and his handsome face.

She was expecting him to say something, but he didn't. Blue eyes stared back at hers, silently asking that she spare them both because he didn't want them to think like this. The look on his face was almost enough to make her cry, but—

As sudden as the mood had shifted, so was his kiss. She genuinely didn't expect it, and she found herself staring wide-eyed at the glass chandelier hanging above them before her natural responses to his actions kicked in. She instinctively pressed herself against him and melted into his arms so easily — as if she had known him for a lot longer than just a couple of months. And she _loved _him. She really did. That's why it would shatter her fragile heart if something untoward would happen to their relationship.

Intertwining his fingers with hers, he slowly brought their joined hands up and laid it between their chests — where they could both feel each other's heartbeat. The other free arm slid around her waist and pulled her close to his body, and her own free arm grabbed onto his shoulders and held him to her. His lips against hers, his hot breath fanning across her mouth every time they parted the tiniest bit for air, his whole being wrapped so intimately around her.

This kiss was tender and passionate, saturated with understanding and reassurance. It was so— So… Loving.

"You're not a fling, Alexis." Slipping his fingers out of hers, he moved to cradle her face with both hands as his thumb brushed her soft cheek. "You're the best thing that's ever walked into my life. And I'd be damned if I take someone so perfect for granted. Didn't I tell you?"

Alexis nodded quietly, looking almost contrite and yet so thankful for the reassurance and his truth.

"You love me."

She didn't see the sincere smile that broke through his face; only felt the tips of his fingers brush over her cheek, across the parted lips he loved to kiss.

"I do." He mumbled, placing his forehead against hers. "I really really do. I love you, Alexis."

"And I love _you_, Aster."

Smiling giddily at each other like school children, they embraced and kissed… and kissed… and kissed again, basking in mutual feelings so strong, it left no room for words.

Not that she had anything else to say after that anyway…


	6. Part I: In Dark World

**A/N: This is quite the time skip. But hey, I warned ya'll in the beginning that none of this was going to be in chronological order. xD I'll just settle for explaining setting and situation on the pre-story notes.**

**Before we jump, I'd like to thank presea221 for leaving such a sweet review in the last one-shot. And thank you to you too for reading. :)**

**I decided to post this one-shot ahead of the others (Yes, I'm jumping from one short story to another for Rareshipping) for now because this one has been sitting in the folder for **_**weeks**_**. I finally gave up on scrutinizing it and just decided that I might as well post it if I'm not making any changes. That's better than leaving the Rareshipping one-shot collection hanging.**

**So t****his little tidbit we have here is part 1 of a two-parter in this collection of Rareshipping one-shots.**

**Setting: Dark World (Season 3)**

**Situation: The aftermath of Aster's duel with Adrian in that cave.**

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**Part 1: In Dark World**

The cool metal on the necklace against her fingertips did little for comfort. The light weight and the smooth feel of it lying lifelessly in the middle of her palm was a grim reminder of what had just transpired. Of what had happened to the wonderful person who had gifted her with the trinket in the first place.

Where before it brought comfort and warmth whenever it had hung around her neck underneath her shirt and right above her beating heart, now it just brought nothing but pain. As if all manner of life and heat had been sucked out of it. And how appropriate.

Numb from the cold air surrounding their little encampment, her fingers still managed to lock down on the clasp attached to the side of the oval locket. The necklace had two trinkets hanging from it — a little Cyber Phoenix and the locket. The locket that kept a precious image of the person she'd been fighting with for _days _and had just lost.

It was ridiculous; the way her year-long relationship had ended. To this day, the real reason for the breakup were still not very clear to her. All she had been thinking of then was that she needed a break. That she needed a cool off, and she couldn't possibly have that with him so near. To her relief, he had complied without _too much _of a fight. And in her fit of fury all those months ago, she'd returned this very same necklace to him. It was her way of telling him — without words — that whatever they shared was over for now.

She would have thought about it in a more deeper level, but minding the circumstances that came with being sucked into a different dimension took priority. She came to Dark World with Jaden and the others. She traveled with Syrus right up until they ran into Axel, and then Zane and Aster, before they came across Jaden. Realizing that her ex-lover had been sucked into Dark World with Zane too came as a surprise, but she had thought nothing of it.

In the brief duration of their time all together, trying to nurse a feverish Jaden back to health and running into Dr. Crowler along with Echo, she hadn't spoken to Aster unless absolutely necessary. And even then, whenever she had addressed him, it had always felt like she was speaking to _all of them_. For the most part, she stayed with Jaden because Aster and Zane were busy discussing other things.

And then the Duel with Adrian happened… The one instance that left a larger impact in her conscience — more than she would have liked, and more than she had thought possible.

Because as much as she tried to push her confusion to the back of her mind, it wasn't easy to ignore the fact that she had loved Aster, and a part of her thought that she was to blame for him making the choices that he did. Perhaps if they were still together, he would have had broader thoughts on the matter than just getting involved with a predicament between Adrian and Echo.

He'd told her once before they parted ways that fateful day that he still loved her. And her response had been to slip off the necklace he'd given her on their first anniversary and hand it back to him. He didn't utter a complaint when she did it — only stayed silent.

And today…

She hadn't wanted him to stay and die! She'd pleaded that he run out with them, echoing Jaden's insistence that he couldn't stay down in the cave. A rift between her and Aster or no, she still cared enough that she didn't want anyone else putting their life on the line. They'd lost too many of their friends, and losing Aster was another weight on Jaden's already heavy shoulders.

She'd refused to let Zane drag her out, but Aster looked at her over his shoulder and gave her that familiar smile.

"_It'll be alright, Lex. It's…the only way."_

That was what he had told her right before he grabbed her hand and pressed the familiar necklace into it. Never before had she thought that such a simple gesture could spark so much emotion. But it did. He spared her a glance, but that had been enough to say what he wanted her to know. That he wanted them to live. And that he loved her still… That he would offer up his own life if it meant they could all leave scot-free.

She had wanted to reach for him then, and give her own life so she could disappear along with him, but he'd snapped at Zane to get her out of the cave. Helplessly, she'd stared with wide eyes as bright light consumed the darkness and his cry of anguish slowly faded into nothing as he disappeared — joining the rest of their friends that had perished in Dark World.

Clutching the necklace tighter, she brought her knees to her chest and slowly began rocking back and forth, stifling sobs and refusing to shed any tears. It would be selfish to cry when she knew someone else was feeling _worst _than her. She knew Jaden was feeling the brunt of it all, and as a friend, it was her job to convince him that it wasn't his fault.

But how could she?

The first tear fell, followed by another, and another; until a slow river began to trickle down her cheek. Until she was quietly sobbing into her folded arms with the necklace cradled in her hands — a fragile reminder of what had happened today.

She cried for their friends who had given their lives, who had disappeared from this world without a trace. She cried for her brother who she sincerely hoped she didn't lose for the second time in one lifetime. She shed tears for Jaden, and Zane, and Syrus, and for the others who were still alive in this world, for the tribulation that was still coming their way.

She despaired and grieved for _him _— for his sacrifice and her own foolishness. For prioritizing her confusion when she should have told him that she loved him still.

How did he feel in his last moments?

Was there fear? Pain? Sorrow? Was he at peace with his final decision? Was that what he really wanted?

It seemed unfair that he, of all people, had to die alone…

For all the heroism and the resolve and conviction he displayed, there was no changing the fact that he had died alone. Running for their lives or no, they left him. His wish or not, she still _left _him to perish alone.

He lost his family, had been betrayed by the people who he cared about the most. She hurt him when she left him, didn't she? They could have worked it out — could have settled their issues for closure. But she had taken the coward's way out and left. How could she have done that?

Her silver star… Her Aster…

The more she thought about him; visualized his smile, thought of his arms winding around her in comfort, recalled how he used to chide her, listen to her, lie in bed next to her, and stroke her hair; remembered how he told her and showed her that he loved her, the more her heart sank into a pool of guilt and sorrow.

She should have stayed with him _no matter what he said_. Or no matter how much Zane had pulled her away (even if she was grateful for Zane saving her life). She could have been braver — should have stayed beside Aster to reassure him that he wasn't going to leave this world all alone. And now what did she have left of him? The necklace he'd given her as a gift three months ago?!

What a sorry excuse for the real him! A picture in a locket could never compare — no matter how high the sentimental value.

Tears still pouring from beautiful brown eyes, she brought the precious memory to her lips, wishing she could kiss his forehead and touch his face instead.

But she couldn't, could she?

Because he was gone… He was gone, and only a miracle could bring him back.


	7. Part II: The Aftermath

**A/N: Let's pretend it didn't take until Season 4 for Zane to be washed up ashore. I think it's obvious though, that I altered scenes and events to suit the Rareshipping plot we got going on. Exhibit A was part 1, where Alexis didn't disappear along with Chazz, Atticus, Hassleberry, and the others in Jaden's duel with the denizens of Bronn's court. This is Exhibit B.**

**Review replies:**

**presea221: As always, thank you for the review :D It's funny that you thought about that and what a coincidence the previous chapter was. And you know what's even more of a coincidence? You suggested a one-shot where Aster would get jealous. And I actually happen to have a one-shot story in the works where our favorite silver-haired boy **_**does **_**get jealous of Zane. It's actually kind'a connected to this one lol xD I think you can expect that third fic request coming up sooner than the first two, (since I'm still in the process of editing them, not gonna lie). **

**AnimeMyWorld: Thank you for reviewing. :D I really appreciate it :)**

**And thank you to you too, Reader. :)**

* * *

**Part 2: The Aftermath**

It's been two weeks since Jaden had returned and Zane had washed up ashore…

Three since they'd all come back from the different dimension.

Two had returned out of the five that had failed to come back. Adrian had disappeared. Bastion had chosen to stay behind in favor of being with Tania. And Aster was still missing… Still didn't present a sign that he would be coming back.

The rest of their group had reassured her time and time again ever since Jaden and Zane turned up that it was only a matter of time before Aster would appear as well. But their presumptions and their hopeful wishing had done her worrying little favors. The thought of Aster winding up like Adrian always managed to make her skin crawl and her gut turn inside out. It was too much to even consider — not to mention the fact that Aster did nothing wrong.

She still had hope. But she was barely holding on…

Ever since they had returned to their world, there hadn't been a single day where she hadn't woken up to a brand new morning wishing that she would find Aster waiting outside her door, or perhaps lounging in his boat again. Even the thought of him wandering the Academy forest was better than losing him in an alternate dimension altogether.

For the most part, school and daily life at the Academy had returned to normal. And Alexis could _barely _stand it.

How could they go on knowing that students were still missing? They weren't just pieces of paper shoved into the archives for future studies and scrutiny! What was the school _even doing?! _Hell, what steps were Kaiba Corp making to solve the problem? As far as the pro circuit and the rest of the world was aware of, Aster was on hiatus as he was focusing on school for the past few weeks. But everyone in Duel Academy _knew the truth_, and were apparently in favor of brushing the matter under the rug like it was just another trivial concern.

Were they treating him like this because he had no biological family and his legal guardians were busy doing who knows what?

It was so frustrating that more than once, Alexis had found herself zoning out during class lectures (a very rare thing to happen) in favor of trying to come up with ways to convince authorities to bring in scientists or whoever was skilled enough to crack dimensions. But how would she even do _that _in the first place? The best she could probably do was talk to Sheppard, and she already did.

To feel like she was doing something, she took to distracting herself with visits to the medical facility where Zane and his slowly healing heart condition were being monitored. It was either her or Syrus. Zane had been doing well, and had even started talking to her like he always did back when she was a freshman. He'd asked about Aster one day (after she had tried so hard to not bring up her ex-boyfriend's absence), and she'd ended up telling Zane a sob story. Not every detail, but enough to give him an idea. It was the same tale she'd told Atticus when her brother had shown concern for her after he noticed how withdrawn she was from the rest.

But the weeks of coping and distractions by friends and daily classes could only hold up for so long. At night, she was unprotected from the foreboding thoughts and the anxiety, and only comforting herself with memories and the weight of her necklace in her hand.

He simply couldn't stay gone forever. He _had _to come back… Or… Or she would _really _spiral out of control and retreat even more into a shell she'd subconsciously made ever since his anguished voice faded into nothing when they left that cave.

She got her good news after two more long days of waiting and hoping. Word had reached her through Syrus — who was living in Obelisk now, that Aster was found in the outskirts of the school's medical facility at the break of dawn. Since then, they'd brought him into a private room in the same place they were keeping Zane for treatment.

They'd found him in the wee hours of the morning and it was currently _late afternoon_. Leaving only rushed words of thanks for Syrus and his efforts to speak to her privately about this, she rushed out with only one destination in mind…

vVvVv

On her way to the medical wards, she had been wrought with urgency. But now that she was actually standing before the door (the only thing keeping her from seeing Aster in the flesh), she felt the trepidation return.

What would she say to him? What would he even say to _her_? Was she supposed to greet him, ask him if he was okay? Every scenario painted in her head all involved her and Aster talking with awkwardness heavy in the air. Did he even _know _she was coming?

Taking a deep and steadying breath, she steeled herself for a confrontation and pushed the door open, completely missing the winking red light of the camera perched above the door frame. The first thing she noticed was the furniture, and then the medical supplies, and after inwardly cursing at herself for _avoiding _the boy she wanted to see, her faltering gaze finally settled on him.

It was hard to believe that he was actually real. He was sitting up in the middle of the hospital bed, wearing a long-sleeved cream t-shirt, with a blanket over his crossed legs, and scrolling through his phone. She took in the sight of him in that brief moment, silently took note of his familiar profile and his pale complexion.

He was _here_. Actually _here_.

As if in slow motion, she watched as he finally looked up from his phone and those mesmerizing blue eyes zeroed in on her again after _weeks _of dreading and pleading with the universe to bring him back. And now that he was here (and looking at her), she didn't know what to do or say.

"I was wondering when you were going to finally come inside. Didn't look comfortable standing out there." He flashed her that dastardly smile she knew all too well, and it suddenly felt like the rifts between them had closed — as if they hadn't been apart after all.

And to see him looking at her like _that _only brought tears to her eyes — relief, happiness, and bits of leftover sorrow all converged within her and left her in a mess, at a complete loss over what to do next. Suppressing a sob, she only managed to utter his name before she rushed over to him, and without thinking, embraced him so tightly.

Her voice muffled against his shirt, she sobbed his name over and over again, and only cried harder when she realized that his arms were around her as well, squeezing her reassuringly as he pressed his lips to the side of her head.

"Aster, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" He asked quietly, murmuring into her ear.

He smoothed her hair fondly and buried his fingers into her golden brown tresses, silently relishing her scent. Because it felt so good to have her in his arms again. Waking up to the world he knew had felt like a dream — until now, where he could touch her like this and reassure himself that he was indeed home. He didn't want her to leave his arms just yet.

His time in Dark World had been hellish. Zane had been a tolerable companion, but in everything they went through, he couldn't get her out of his mind. For countless nights, he had stayed up replaying their breakup over and over again, trying to figure out _where _he went wrong, or _why _she didn't want him anymore. And in the outcome of his battle with Adrian, all he could think about then was buying them time to escape.

"I'm sorry for leaving you, for letting them take you. For— For…"

The ugly sobs at the back of her throat kept her from finishing her words properly. She surrendered to the tears carving their way down her cheeks as she pulled back slightly. Biting her lip to stop her lips from trembling, she avoided his gaze even as his hands settled comfortably on her shoulders.

"Well, I'm sorry too." Cupping her chin, he tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes. "I'm sorry that I drove you away from me." Whatever it was he did that put Alexis off.

"Aster—" She whimpered, but it was at that moment that his eyes briefly wandered away from her face to focus on the necklace hanging around her neck. The one he'd given to her for their first anniversary, and the same one he'd pressed into her hand just before he yelled at Zane to get her and everyone else out of death's way.

"You don't have to wear it just because of this, you know." He commented sadly, eyeing her necklace and finally releasing her from his hold only to fold his hands on top of his lap and stare at them as if they were suddenly very interesting.

At the mention of the necklace, Alexis subconsciously wrapped a hand around the familiar trinkets, and caught sight of the corresponding thin silver chain and the locket attached to it around his neck. He was wearing his locket too, kept it hidden underneath his shirt, resting above skin.

"No, Aster." She shook her head, passively wiping away a stray tear as she gently took his hands in hers, cradling their joined hands between them. "I wear it because it's what kept me going. It helped me keep hope alive, wishing every day that you would come back. And- And I'm so happy that you're here."

Words failed him. Slowly (so as not to startle her), he framed her face in his hands, and leaned closer and closer. Overcome with similar emotions, Alexis let her eyelids close as she pushed forward the tiniest bit. His forehead on hers, he nuzzled her nose, and slowly kissed her waiting lips — taking his time and doing it slow, just like their first kiss.

It was invigorating — exhilarating. It was like coming up for air after drowning. This kiss… It held so much emotion. All the worrying and the pining; the heart-wrenching sorrow was worth it for just this one moment. Because it was reduced to nothing in the face of such a beautiful expression of love.

He wrapped his arms around her waist securely, pulling her into his body as she cupped his cheeks and took silent note of his own tears. Parting for air, she tenderly peppered his face with delicate kisses, quietly apologizing and reassuring him, silently dispelling his doubts. Telling him—

"I love you, Aster. I love you. I love you."

She uttered those three words again and again like it was a prayer. He didn't think too much on it before, but words failed to express how relieved he was to hear her say it, to reassure him that his own feelings weren't going to waste — that she loved him just as much as he loved her.

Still overrun with emotion, he held her closer with no intention of letting her leave just yet. Comfortable silence blanketed them both as she settled into his lap while he buried his face into the crook of her neck, smoothing his palms over her bare arms, relishing the feel of her skin.

It was quiet and peaceful… And it was all they could ever want right now. All they could ever need.


	8. It's Always Jaden

**A/N: Hi! Here we go again. xD**

**Setting & Situation: This one-shot takes place during the early stages of Alexis' and Aster's relationship. Right after the Society of Light drama. It's the type where you know the two of them like each other, and they're literally one push away from becoming an actual couple. xD**

* * *

**It's Always Jaden**

He'd lost count on the number of times he _tried _to ask her to hang out, and she had refused… Well, granted it was indirect refusal. But a no was still a 'no' in whichever way you flipped it.

"_I can't hang out right now."_

"_I have a test to study for, and I need to be alone. Maybe some other time?"_

"_I'm actually on my way to see Jaden and the others."_

"_Jaden's dueling Bastion again… Let's watch!"_

"_Jaden and Syrus asked for help."_

Jaden this. Jaden that.

The whole universe might as well revolve around Jaden and his _special needs_.

Well, to be perfectly and honestly fair, Alexis _had _been friends with Jaden and his groupies far longer than he'd even known her. Hell, it was barely even two months since he'd met her let alone a year. So _of course _she would rather hang out with a group she was already comfortable with; her gradual closeness with him be damned.

But he liked her, _damn it_. What kind of guy appreciated losing his chances with the girl he fancied by watching her hang out with another male? Not that he was seriously considering Jaden, of all people, as a rival when it came to wooing a girl. Sure, he proved himself a worthy adversary in Duel Monsters, but when it came to attracting the opposite sex, Aster wasn't looking to throw in the towel just yet.

Come to think of it, though… Did she _like _Jaden now?

He never thought to ask her that question outright before, but maybe he should have before he'd made his intentions clear. Still, it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask her _now _and save himself the trouble of trying to get her to like him only to be shot down brutally at the end.

The day he thought deeply about all of this, the Pro Duelist had resolved to speak with Alexis and set a concrete "date" with her. Otherwise, if he kept passively inviting her to hang out, he was slightly worried he'd catch her during her busy times again. And then she'd spend _way too much time _with Jaden.

His schedule was busy enough as it was; rotating between being a student and competing in the professional circuit. And when he had openings and free time, he wanted to maximize that given period for other things of his choosing — preferably productive things. Like getting Alexis to say yes to hanging out — just the two of them.

So when he met her at the library, he didn't hesitate to grab the empty seat next to her and—

"So when can you and I _really _hangout?"

Alexis glanced at him from the corner of her eye, lips twitching upwards — the beginning of a small smile. Sometimes she hated how impossibly handsome he looked as he stared at her with his chin cradled in his palm. Because that pretty face on a boy had a knack for being persuasive, and it was hard to say 'no.'

She shrugged, jotting down a couple of important notes before answering his question. "Don't we already hang out plenty of times?"

Tongue in cheek, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she was purposely doing this to push his buttons. And if she _was_, well she was succeeding.

"Yeah. With _Jaden_."

She didn't miss the way he practically _hissed _the other boy's name. And for a moment, she wondered why. He was obviously being general. She didn't hang out with _just _Jaden. It was Jaden and her other friends.

"Spending time with friends is cool, and all. But you already know I like you. Sometimes, I just want you to myself." He smiled deviously.

_Wait, what?_

Abandoning the textbook completely now, she looked at him with wide eyes and a slight flush creeping up her cheeks. She caught herself in time and shook herself out of the stupor Aster's words had caused. God, he was so—

"You're a shameless _flirt, _you know that?"

Aster chuckled and shrugged at the barely feigned unimpressed expression Alexis wore. "So you say. But I don't hear you saying you don't like it when I do."

"I don't."

"The pink in your cheeks say otherwise."

She resisted the urge to groan loudly at how naturally irritating he was. It was amusing, but she didn't like it that much when he had the metaphorical spotlight pointed straight at her and he was on a deliberate mission to embarrass her for funsies.

Alexis sighed, closed her book, and decided to ask another question, effectively shifting to another subject.

"If we're going to '_hang out' _where are we going?"

"Do you have any particular place in mind?" Aster asked, twirling a ballpoint pen between his fingers just because he could. "Anywhere as long as there's no Jaden is fine with me."

Alexis looked at him funny. She knew he wanted them to be alone, and frankly, she wanted that too — because the heavens knew how attracted she was to him now. But friends were friends, and she valued her relationship with them. Aster didn't really have a lot of free-time between school and the Pro circuit. Only cruel Fate would have it that whenever he had been around and available, she was being called elsewhere for help or to do schoolwork. And when _he _was off to somewhere else, she had all the free-time in the world with nothing to do. That was why all his impromptu invitations for hanging out had been postponed numerous times before.

She figured that was the reason why Aster had decided to talk to her today and set up _actual _plans — to avoid the tricky merry-go-round they had been on for the past week. But apparently not.

Going off of what he was saying now, apparently the reason was _Jaden_.

"Why do you hate Jaden so much?" She asked, a very obvious suspicion already taking shape in her mind.

"I don't." Was the nonchalant answer as he mindlessly flipped through the pages of the book he'd 'borrowed.'

So this is how Aster Phoenix is like when he's being jealous, and trying (but failing) to hide it. Very interesting, if she had to say so herself.

"Really?" She cocked an eyebrow, trying to hide the grin that was threatening to unfurl. "You're so insistent on not having him around. I thought you and I are just friends—"

"Not for much longer I hope."

Alexis rolled her eyes good-naturedly; happy that Aster was jumping into the banter with little to no trouble.

"Are you _jealous _of Jaden?"

Watching him closely, she nigh laughed out loud at how startled those blue eyes had appeared before they were schooled back into the usual calm and collected demeanor. Oh, this was _her _chance for payback. For all the times Aster never failed to leave her a flustered mess. And for all the times where a lot of her comebacks had fallen flat thanks to his smartass remarks.

"Why should I be jealous of _your _friend?" He scoffed, and Alexis felt giddy. This was just too good. _Teasing him _was too good because it was so rare.

"Okay." Alexis shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Because I was thinking of bringing Jaden along with us to this arcade. I bet he and the others would—"

"I thought we were clear on the lets-be-alone-together part of hanging out." Was the swift interruption that made Aster stop whatever he was doing with the book.

"But it's no fun with just two friends. What ever will we do?" Alexis piled on some more, having _way _too much fun with the opportunity presented.

Meanwhile, Aster grinned at _her _words. He was willing to bet his Destiny Heroes that she had _no idea _how her innocent words could easily flip into something inappropriate if he jumped on it. For half a second, he quickly debated whether or not he should tell her that _two people alone could have a lot of fun together_. But in the end, he decided against the sexual innuendo. He was trying to score an 'only them' date, and getting on Alexis' nerves wouldn't start him off on the right foot.

"Fine. We're not hanging out anymore. We're going on a date."

Taking his swift answer for a denial to have Jaden or their other friends join in, she was powerless to stop the giggles that slowly spilled out of her.

"You're so— Oh my god."

Her tittering had turned into full-on suppressed laughter (since they were still in the library). But as funny as she found this situation to be, Aster thought otherwise. Because... Was he getting a date or not?

"Is that a yes?"

Biting her lip to stop the last dregs of laughter from spilling out, Alexis nodded in response to Aster's question and his bewildered face. But then—

"A yes to the date or to being my girlfriend?"

Just as abruptly, the tables had turned. And this time, _she _was the one gaping at him while he stared back at her fearlessly with that devious smirk and the mirth glimmering in his impossibly blue eyes.

_That _was a question she hadn't been expecting to hear anytime soon…

Sure, he'd asked her before. And _only _after she hadn't denied that she liked him too. She told him then that she'd think about it. And she did. She _had _been thinking about it for the past few days — right from the moment he'd asked her. After debating and weighing pros and cons and staying up in the middle of the night, she came to the conclusion some time ago that the next time he asked, she wouldn't say 'no.'

Aside from the fact that stuff like this didn't always happen, she was also curious to see where a relationship with him could go. And also because she _really liked him too_. Plain and simple with no need for argument.

So…

"I like you too, you know. Thought you already knew that." She muttered shyly, resisting the urge to fidget underneath his penetrating gaze.

Aster raised an eyebrow, not actually believing what he was hearing yet. "Could have fooled me. But seriously?"

Did she _seriously _just say _yes _to _both_?

He watched the adorable pink slowly creep back into her cheeks, and he knew he had his answer.

Oh well… Oh _wow_…

He hadn't been genuinely expecting it because he had been joking. But for Alexis to take it seriously and confirm that, yes, she wanted to be with him. It meant a lot…

It meant that now he had an official girlfriend…

Aster Phoenix was in a relationship…

Now he _truly _understood what life-changing moments _truly _meant. It hadn't been anything grand. It was just the two of them in a secluded part of the school's library, _joking _about hanging out. And now _this_.

He smiled happily and she started slightly when he wrapped his hand around one of hers, and slowly brought it close to his lips to lay a gentlemanly kiss. As his lips grazed the smooth bit of skin at her knuckles, Alexis shuddered pleasantly at how gentle he was being and how tender his gaze was as it alighted on her and her (most likely) flaming face.

"Looks like you and I have our first official date to get to."


	9. My First Kiss Went a Little Like This

**A/N: Another early-stage-in-the-relationship one-shot xD Originally, this was supposed to be the fic where I go into details about their first time. But then **_**this **_**happened. So… That lemon one-shot will probably come sooner rather than later. Just chose to publish this first because it kind of picks up where the last chapter left off ;)**

**Also, it's pretty fun to dive back into their firsts as a couple; since I started this one-shot collection off with something steamy xD Let's be innocent for a second. Or, well… As innocent as my writing gets for Rareshipping xD Trust me, there'll be plenty of lemon cakes and cookies in the **_**near **_**future.**

* * *

**My First Kiss Went a Little Like This**

The first time he kissed her, she embarrassed herself by standing completely still with her arms at her sides, her eyes squeezed shut, her lips puckered up, and her back so tense. It had been _so _awkward for her that he stopped, not even a full five seconds into their lips pressed together.

The memory of that first kiss (right after their first date) haunted her in the days that followed. _That _was possibly the most awkward and the most embarrassing of kisses ever shared in the history of every lover in the universe.

Okay, so perhaps she was making an intense hyperbole out of it. But Alexis felt like she was _justified _to feel that way. Of course, Aster being Aster, had reassured her that she shouldn't think too deeply on it and move on.

Three days after that fateful first date, and that _joke _of a first kiss (on _her _part, of course), she noticed that her boyfriend never made another move to try and kiss her again. And because of that, she had been inwardly beating herself over the head, thinking that she probably embarrassed them both so much that Aster was refusing to even acknowledge it.

Oh god, what if he never wanted to kiss her again?

Did that happen? Do people in a relationship end up doing that if one person was a _really _bad kisser? Was it so bad to ask Aster if they could try again? Was it a crime to _want _a proper kiss with her boyfriend? Not only was she _not _satisfied. She was _mortified _with her own doing too. She'd ruined it.

But Aster would just probably laugh at her and her embarrassment when it came to things like this.

The bastard. He had it _so easy_. He probably already _had _dated someone before. Because judging from the way he acted and the way he handled their date easily clued her in that it wasn't his first time taking a girl out on a lunch date. On the other hand, everything about this relationship was a first for _her_. She hadn't been too interested in dating before she'd met him. What little she knew of romantic relationships and what couples did were limited to the few times she'd seen it happen on television. Or her parents (if you wanted to count that). But even then, those were minimal.

Also, she knew she shouldn't be thinking of this as class was ending and Professor Crowler was prattling on about homework, but her mind wandered anyway. The last class that followed after Crowler's was PhysEd. And once again, it was just her body on auto-pilot, for the most part, even as the girls all crowded in the locker room at the end of the class. Mindy and Jasmine had gone ahead, to reserve seats in the cafeteria — and when they saw her brother passing by the hallways, and at Alexis' own insistence.

She wanted to be alone to construct and organize her thoughts some more on how she was going to approach her boyfriend about this and fix the problem. Only, she found she couldn't do that anymore when the subject of her thoughts had effectively materialized just outside the locker room, leaning against the adjacent wall, trying to be discreet from everyone else.

"So what has _you _frowning so much?"

She sighed deeply and let him slip his fingers through hers as he led her into a more shadowy part of the hallway, close to the massive stairwell. They were being discreet about their budding relationship, so she had no qualms with Aster's want for privacy. To be honest, she wanted it to if she was going to address her concerns here and now.

"Aster… About that— The first date." She started slowly, reorganizing her thoughts and trying to form one coherent explanation. He was looking at her expectantly, and she'd hate to be laughed at for what she was about to do.

"Are you still hung up about that kiss?"

How he could say things like that so passively, she would never know. She had yet to get used to him and everything about his world. They both promised one another during that first date that they would take things one step at a time. And this was part of _her _first steps.

Blushing, her attention drifted to the tiled floor at their feet, suddenly finding it very interesting. He was going to make fun of her. She just knew it.

"It was bad." Was her short explanation when she finally spoke. "Even _you _would say so. Isn't that why you haven't— Well, it's why you aren't trying it again with me. Was it _that _terrible?"

She glanced up at him only to see him leaning against a wall again, arms folded across his chest, regarding her carefully. Also, he wasn't grinning like it was a joke, so she was grateful for that.

"You know, the only reason why I never bothered to try again soon was because I was worried I made you uncomfortable."

Oh… So that was what it was about then. It had nothing to do with her horrible kissing capabilities?

Suddenly feeling bare, she rubbed her gloved hands over her bare arms. "Well I _was _uncomfortable. But not because of you… I guess I just don't know how. I'm sorry."

Aster's smile was strangely comforting as he shook his head and left his place against the wall in favor of closing the short distance between them. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Alexis. You shouldn't have to apologize for something like that. Everyone's first time at kissing is different."

Oh god, they were _actually _discussing kisses. Was it far out to say that this was a conversation she didn't see herself having ever? Well, in the first place, they probably wouldn't be if she'd done it right the first time around. She also had half a mind to ask Aster if his words meant exactly what she thought they meant. He certainly dated a girl before, didn't he?

"Why are we even talking about this?"

Aster chuckled in response to her exasperated question. "You started it, remember? I actually came over to ask you out for lunch at the yacht."

"Let's just go."

She was about to leave their little corner when Aster's fingers closed gently around her forearm, pulling her back and arranging himself so he was blocking her path for an exit, and had her sandwiched between himself and the wall. Flushing furiously from the unsolicited action, she boldly met his gaze anyway and didn't flinch or shrink away when one of his hands laid heavily on her hip.

"Do you want to try again?" He asked her quietly, blue eyes carefully examining her face for any sign that she was uncomfortable with this.

"I think you need to tell me what to do." She murmured, before she slid her arms around his shoulders.

"Relax. And let _me _kiss _you_."

She was expecting sudden motions, but none of that came. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised that he did it as slowly as he did the first time — as if he were afraid to scare her off. His other free hand came up and cupped her chin, keeping their faces in proper alignment. And when those lips _did _come, she felt a tiny bit of air escape her.

Choosing to remain still and observant with her eyes closed, she took pleasure in the silent buzz that filled her ears, also mentally reminding herself to _not _pucker up. And when her body _did _relax from his ministrations, different senses slowly came to life — one by one. It was as if the world had closed in and had isolated them both from the rest. And it felt wonderful to focus on nothing but his scent; on the hand keeping her hip steady and pulling her closer to him ever so slightly; on the fingers that gently stroked the apple of her cheek; on the smooth and cool lips pressing lightly yet insistently against hers.

An involuntary and small moan vibrated low in her throat as his thumb gently brushed across her plump lower lip. Parting her mouth slightly and instinctively, she sighed against his kiss, pressing her body closer to his just as the soft kisses ended and he settled for resting his forehead against hers.

"Wasn't _that _better?" He teased quietly.

Ignoring the flush on her cheeks, she graced him with a very giddy smile. Who knew that such a small and innocent kiss could be so satisfying? Embarrassing first kisses be _damned_. That one couldn't compare to _this_, and how happy she felt afterwards that Aster was being so patient with her about all of this.

"It was. But I'm supposed to kiss you back. Not just stand there."

"So what are you going to do about it, hm?"

Biting her lip in a moment's hesitation, she made her final decision and drew forward, carefully laying her lips against his — much like he did earlier, mimicking his methods and how he effectively shut the rest of her world down until she could focus on nothing else but him and his pleasantly sensual kiss.

"You're a fast learner…"

—Were his last words before he returned her loving gestures in full. With her fingers threading through his hair, and his arms pressing her body closer, she marveled at how adept he was at subconsciously reading her minimal movement. Somehow, the angle had adjusted and now their lips were locked together — the barest of spaces completely obliterated.

She could get used to this…

And it was even sweeter knowing that these kisses could only get better with every touch.

* * *

**A/N: I partially hate myself for writing this. Also, it sounded way beter in my head xD Sorry. Anyways… Someone needs to get them a room. xD**

**Thank you for reading :)**


	10. Chazz Wants to Know

**A/N: This one happens during Season 2… After the Society of Light drama of course. And the gang is having "normal" school days.**

**Also, I'll be touching on the topic of mental maturity here. So please don't be offended if Alexis somehow insinuates that Chazz and Jaden are still kids — in their own right, and even her brother. Because let's be honest. Season 2 and the summer vacation that happened after that school year still had carefree Jaden and friends.**

**It's not until Season 3 and 4 of GX that the **_**real shit's **_**gone down. And Jaden experiences **_**massive **_**character development like never before. (I love season 4 Jaden so much xD)**

**So, yes, Jaden and Syrus and Chazz and everybody (well, most of them) are still very typically high school-ish in Season 1 and 2. (In S1 especially).**

**Aster's different, and considerably well-advanced in mental maturity unlike the others. And that's not even fictional. **_**That's canon**_**. His father died. And he had to grow up fast. It's like Kaiba's situation. They (both Seto and Aster) mature mentally because of circumstances in the past, and yet, they still hold slivers of boyish traits somewhere deep in themselves. (like Kaiba's tendency to make rash decisions, and Aster's clear dependence on father figures — sometimes to the point where he gets exploited).**

**You know, grown-up yet not really…**

**Just wanted to make that clear since Alexis kind of talks about it or something xD**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing :)**

* * *

**Chazz Wants to Know**

Chazz had never quite understood why Alexis had rejected his advances the first time he admitted that he loved her. Quite frankly, what did she see in Aster Phoenix that made her want him more?

He had been frank with his feelings and had tried his best to win her over. She loved dueling so much then, didn't she? And that fact never changed at all. Dare he say, she had _still _been in love with dueling when Aster came into Duel Academy. What changed? And more importantly, what did _Aster _do to earn her affection? Did he challenge _her _to a duel? Gave her roses and chocolates?

What. Did. He. Do?!

He had been _dying _to know.

And there was no better time than now, right? If Chazz could be grateful for one thing at the moment, it was that Kaiba Land's attractions had served as distractions for the rest of their little party. Hassleberry, Syrus, and Jaden went with Atticus to a little Duel Monsters-themed tent to get prizes. The girls — Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy — were off looking for something to eat in the innumerable kiosks available in the park.

The universe was kind for putting Aster Phoenix and Chazz Princeton in one place. Although, seeing the former still made Chazz want to laugh. Not because Aster's outfit was ridiculous. (Heavens forbid the Pro Duelist would be caught dead wearing something unfashionable). But Chazz found it amusing because Aster had done his part to completely hide his notable features from immediate recognition. The perfect definition of a celebrity in hiding.

Dark sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose, a cap that hid most of his hair from view, dark jeans, a zip-up sweater, and expensive shoes. Chazz recognized wealth when he saw it. After all, wasn't he just as — or even more — rich?

But money aside…

Chazz cleared his throat to get the other boy's attention. It worked. Aster slid the sunglasses off of his face and looked at Chazz with a raised eyebrow.

"So uh… About Alexis."

"What about her?" It was easy to see the possessiveness rise in Aster, especially after the way he folded his arms across his chest.

"How did you get her to like you?" Chazz asked curiously, trying hard not to let his jealousy bleed through.

The question must have come off as a surprise of sorts, but the bewilderment easily faded from Aster's face to reveal the cocky expression he was known for. Not like it made a difference to him or anything. Aster may be a pro duelist, but Chazz was still the Chazz. And what mattered was that he had a bright future ahead of him, and would crush the Pros one day.

"What's _not _to like about me?"

He resisted the urge to smack the other guy. What was so wrong about answering his questions properly for once? He was actually being serious. And Chazz made sure to voice that by groaning loudly and rubbing the lower part of his face with frustration.

"No, I mean… How did you— You know, how did you ask her out on a date?"

Because Chazz didn't even have that chance with her. Always stuck with professing the depth of his love from afar.

Aster was smirking, glancing at Chazz only briefly before letting his gaze wander around the theme park again. Of course he'd known what Chazz meant by the first question. He wasn't stupid. It was just fun to see the boy _squirm_.

"Certainly not by dueling her into compliance if that's what you're thinking."

He wasn't even around when he did that! _How the hell does Aster know about that?! _Looking back at it now, Chazz could easily acknowledge that it wasn't one of his greatest moments. He was only thankful Alexis decided to keep their friendship after the stunt he pulled. Still, that hadn't meant he would stop letting her know how much he _adored _and loved her. The Chazz never gives up.

Well… Up until she and Aster admitted that they were dating, of course.

Still, was it so wrong to fantasize about Alexis running to his arms one day once in a while?

"Don't look so surprised." Aster smirked. "She tells me a lot of stuff, you know. That includes your cute attempt at wooing her."

Chazz grit his teeth, controlling his urges to smack the teasing grin off of Aster's face. Why did he have to rub that in?

And of course, Alexis would tell him. They were a _couple _after all. He should've known. God, just thinking about the word made him want to cry. But Aster didn't need to know that. The bastard was smug enough as he was. He didn't need more fuel on his ego.

"Can you not—"

"Relax. I can't say that I blame you." Chazz followed Aster's gaze and noticed the wistful expression the other duelist had adopted. Only then did he realize that the Pro Duelist was actually looking at the girl in question — talking to a vendor at the breakfast kiosk where they served waffles. "There's a lot to like about her."

"So you chose her." Chazz muttered sulkily. "Knowing you'd get her anyway."

"I believe it's the other way around. _She _picked _me_." Aster shrugged when Chazz looked at him with a confused expression. "I won't get into details. But I'll tell you something." It was then that Aster turned to him with a seriousness he only ever saw in dire situations. "She wasn't easy. She never will be. It was a marathon; not a sprint. Some advice when you find someone. Don't rush a girl into dating you. Give her space to consider your feelings."

Chazz frowned slightly. "Did she ever tell you she didn't like you?"

"Doesn't matter now if she did."

Well, that didn't really answer his questions. But it was obvious that Aster was done with the conversation. And any attempt Chazz would have to reignite it would just be easily deflected. Aster would ignore people if he wanted to. Well, maybe except Jaden.

Maybe he should just ask Alexis…

vVvVv

Aster left Duel Academy Island on Friday evening for a Dueling match-up in China for three days. Chazz didn't know everything, but he knew enough to know that Alexis sometimes went with the Pro Duelist. But it seemed she couldn't for this weekend because of a school project she was going to do with Jasmine.

So, after seeing that Lexi had more free time than she usually did because of Aster, the Chazz had gathered his flickering courage (when it came to Alexis) and decided he would approach her with questions he'd been _dying _to ask ever since he had that short conversation with Phoenix at Kaiba Land.

Chazz found his chance when Alexis was heading back from the library and to who-knows-where. He hadn't been too interested in her whereabouts, but he asked anyway for the sake of being polite. She was on her way to see Jaden and the others at Slifer Red apparently. Jumping on the opportunity, Chazz immediately declared that he'd come with her. Thank god she didn't say no.

"Alexis, I've always been curious. What made you choose Aster and not… me or Zane? Or Jaden."

The thought of Alexis ending up with Jaden was even _worse _for Chazz — just knowing he'd lost her to a rival. That didn't mean her being with Aster was any less damaging to his ego, but at the very least, Chazz hadn't fought Aster in a duel _yet_. So there was no measurement of dueling prowess between them. Although, he _would _be willing to bet he could smoke Aster one day. Just not now. Because even if Aster lost to Jaden, the Pro duelist still beat Zane and still had an illustrious and undefeated streak in the Pro circuit. Aster was a tough one.

Alexis glanced at Chazz out of the corner of her eye, smiling kindly as she clutched the books closer to her chest. She had been somewhat expecting this. Ever since Aster had told her about his odd conversation with Chazz at Kaiba Land, she knew it wasn't outside the realm of possibility to have Chazz be so curious enough as to ask her.

She thought he deserved an answer too. Truth be told, she _had _thought of Chazz's question more than once before. Everyone knew how close she and Zane were during her first year, so what drew her to Aster instead? What had she seen in him that she hadn't in the other guys? Jaden certainly wasn't bad. And she didn't fancy Chazz back then because he sprung himself on her so immediately even when she made it clear she didn't want to date yet. Her other admirers were fine, but they didn't really know her well enough to _truly _like her beyond the dueling and the physical aspects.

Well, one thing she _did _like about Aster was the level of maturity which was currently absent in Chazz _or _Jaden — and even Atticus. It was why she had preferred hanging out with Zane in the past. And it was one of the reasons why she hadn't shrugged Aster off completely when he began dropping hints and subtly flirted with her. In some weird and inexplicable way, he made her feel like a woman. Not a girl. Or not as a student who was being worshiped for the looks and the dueling skills.

But she couldn't tell Chazz that without offending him… Still remembering clearly how she'd shot him down abruptly numerous times during their duel.

"Aster's… Well, he's different." Alexis answered thoughtfully.

"Different in what way?" Was Chazz's blunt reply.

"I'll be honest… He wasn't pushy." A quick glance at Chazz revealed the boy's suddenly downcast eyes. She wasn't pertaining to Chazz at all, rather to the general population of boys in Duel Academy. But it seemed like she stepped on a landmine when she said those words. But truth was truth. "The other boys like Harrington just… begged. I didn't like Aster right away. It took a lot of effort on his part before I realized that there was more to him than the haughty Duelist we saw Jaden defeat. He wasn't lying when he told you I gave him a hard time."

"_It was a marathon… Not a sprint."_

Chazz took that comment with a grain of salt, because you never knew when people exaggerated. But hearing this from Alexis now, was confirmation that Aster hadn't lied about it. He idly wondered if he should ask Alexis about what Aster did to get her attention. But how did she—

He was opening his mouth to ask when a lovely blush spread across Alexis' cheeks.

"He told me about your little talk at Kaiba Land."

"Of course he did." Chazz mumbled under his breath. "Do you two tell each other _everything_?"

"Well, not _everything_. But anything, yes."

"Would I have had a chance if I did what he did?"

"That depends, Chazz. And I don't know for certain."

Walking beside her, Chazz released a melancholy sigh. "I guess you're right. It's something you can't know for sure unless it happens."

Alexis nodded in agreement. And Chazz figured that unless she and Aster broke up, he really couldn't pursue her. Still, that didn't mean he would stop loving her. He would _always _be her number one admirer, and the guy she could run to if she needed help. (Jaden and the other guys be _damned!_)

"Still, I'm happy to have you as a friend, Chazz."

Yeah, for now… Chazz considered saying something, and was about to open his mouth to do so, but a phone ringing effectively interrupted his conversation with the girl.

"Excuse me. I need to take this."

He let her wander ahead of him, and sulked unhappily when bits of the conversation filtered towards him. _Of course_, it had to be Aster calling her from overseas. He didn't know what they were talking about, but Chazz could guess that the other guy was probably checking on her. And judging from the gleeful sound of Alexis' voice, it looked like Aster's call made her giddy. Oh, what Chazz would give to be the man making her smile. Aster was one lucky bastard, and Chazz hoped he knew it.

He was walking close enough to Alexis now that he could hear Aster's voice on the other side of the line…

"_Yeah… I got another match to prepare for. I'll call again later if you aren't asleep yet. Take care of yourself, Baby._"

Alexis smiled. "No, _you _take care. Congrats on the victories, Aster."

"_Thanks. I'll see you in a few days._"

"I love you."

"_I love you more._"

The parting words made Chazz want to _leave_. Her boyfriend was miles away, but it suddenly felt like he was listening in on a private moment between the two. To be fair, it was a phone call _for _Alexis, and Chazz happened to be walking with her to Slifer. He _shouldn't be _listening to this stuff. But he couldn't help himself. Aster and Alexis never displayed affection publicly, so it _was _fascinating to catch glimpses of how that relationship worked when it was just the two of them.

"He works too hard."

There was a pause, and Chazz considered asking her to elaborate, but decided against it when he took note of the worried expression she had subconsciously adopted.

"Sometimes it's easy to forget that he's still just a student like the rest of us. When he's not busy with school, he's occupied with his career — well into the night."

"He doesn't have time for you, does he?" Chazz regarded Alexis carefully, silently vowing to himself that he would always have time for her regardless of his future career _or _his studies.

"What? No." She shook her head. "It's not like that at all. He _makes _time for us. But every time I see him do what he does to support himself and his priorities, I—"

Alexis sighed deeply. She never expected to have a conversation like this, and with _Chazz_ of all people. How did his innocent question get from that to…this? There was so much she wanted to say — to talk about her relationship, to express and vent out her concern to another person, aside from Aster. But how could she even begin to explain Aster's humaneness? On the surface, he was always calm and collected. And even with her, he had been nothing short of a wonderful and amazing partner. But he was still human. He was not an exception when it came to experiencing physical and emotional pain. He stressed; he worried; he cried; he suffered burn-outs too — no matter _how hard _he tried to keep himself physically healthy.

It was so easy to assume that everything was always fine with him, and all because that's all he would have the public see. So many more important things required his attention all day long.

Sometimes, she felt sorry that he _had _to make time for her...

She was grateful, and she loved spending time with him. But he should know that he shouldn't have to, if he couldn't. She wanted to tell him that… She _tried _to. But Aster would always shrug her concerns off and reassure her that he was fine — in spite of the occasional yawn, and the barely-there dark circles under his eyes.

"Alexis?" Chazz prompted quietly and gently.

"Sorry. What I was trying to say was, he shouldn't make time for me, if he can't."

"What do you mean?"

"Even when he's obviously exhausted and needs to _rest_, he still insists on making time for the two of us. I'll always be grateful to him for that. But I also just want him to take care of himself better."

Not for the first time since this conversation started, he was simply _astounded_. The level of fondness and concern was just… Well, Chazz couldn't exactly put an exact word to it. He was _sure _there was a term somewhere, but he couldn't find it. To just hear Alexis talk about Aster that way, and then remembering how the Pro Duelist had looked at Alexis when they had been at Kaiba Land…

Was that what being in a genuine relationship was truly like?

_Now_, he was curious about something else, and had every intention to ask. But instead, all that came out of his still confused yet strangely amazed state of mind was, "Sounds like something you two need to talk about."

vVvVv

It was… It was _indeed _something she and Aster needed to talk about.

But now that he was back and she was sitting beside him, a comfortable silence between them both, she failed to find the words to express her concern for his well-being. How do you tell someone who's so self-sufficient that they could depend on someone else to care for them too? It was like telling them to violate their own principles.

"Aster?"

"Hm?"

He smiled genuinely at her, turning his head to give her his full attention. She could see it all. The happiness in his eyes, the enthusiasm, the curiosity. But underneath all that rapt attention was thinly veiled exhaustion. Sometimes she wished he didn't have to feel like he _had to _work himself death.

So, at the very least, she _had _to let him know that he could depend on her if he needed to.

"Can you promise me something?" She spoke quietly, laying a gentle hand over his arm in assurance.

"What is it, Alexis?"

Her heart nearly broke at the concern that shone in his eyes, at the way his brows furrowed. Times like this, she couldn't help but wonder briefly about the people who saw Aster as nothing more than the cocky Pro Duelist who couldn't give a toss about anyone else. What would they say if they saw him _now_? Looking at her like _this_.

He was the very opposite of selfish. And not just when it came to her…

Since the days when she slowly got to know him better, it was easy to see that he had been fighting for justice for his _father_. Some methods were questionable, and needed a nudge in the right direction. But the intentions were clear as day. From the way he sought his father's murderer; how he stubbornly stood by the _real _Sartorius even if it felt like all hope was lost for his friend and manager; how he was quick to offer aid for his friends; how he fought most of his duels with the intention to contribute to children like himself who'd lost family. How he took care of her…

Most of his end motives for doing the things she'd seen him do so far was for everyone else. The personal success almost seemed secondary.

And underneath the collected composure and exterior of a man, lay a boy who had tragic beginnings, and was only trying to make the world a better place for himself and the people he cared about.

"When you need someone, you can always come to me, okay?"

It was all she could manage to say — a brief summation of what she _really _needed him to know. But it was enough. And in her bid to hide her ever reddening face, she wound her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into the crook of his neck — her own wordless promise and her way of telling him that he could — and he _should — _depend on her too.

For a fraction of a couple of seconds, he didn't know how to react. And like an idiot, he just gaped at her for a bit before he came to his senses and patted her arm reassuringly.

"I'm fine, Lexi. You don't need to worry about me." He turned his head and kissed the side of her face.

But her hold on him only tightened as she lifted her face off of his neck to look at him with slightly misty brown eyes and cheeks tinted an endearing pink. "I know. But when you aren't, I'll be here for you. I need you to know and remember that. Promise?"

What else could he say? How could he possibly justify the pleasure and the happiness coursing through his veins to hear words like that from _her?_

Of course he trusted her. And ever since their relationship had slowly approached emotional intimacy, he'd always known he could come to her when he needed. But there was just something so comforting and beautiful about hearing words like that from the love of your life.

And not for the first time, he thanked whatever higher power there was for bringing her into his life — for drawing him to her.

"I promise, Love."


	11. On a Sunny Mid-school Year's Day

**A/N: Here it is, presea! :D As requested. And because I **_**finally **_**got my stupid self to work.**

**Thanks for reading everyone!**

**This will be mostly in Alexis' POV (although Aster's POVs will be making cameos too, but we'll mostly stick to the girl). Because this is her first time. ;) I think it would be fun to see how her mind works the first time she and Aster share an amorous tumble beneath the sheets. :P**

**And if parts of Alexis' POV will sound cringy to some people, then good. xD Because that means this whole thing is fulfilling its intent. I'm honestly trying to replicate how a real teenaged girl with Alexis' level of 'innocence' would feel in a situation like this. Of course, everyone's first time at sex is different. So there's really no right or wrong depiction in writing fanfic first-time sex. But here's my take on it.**

**It might be an overdone trope to have the innocent girl and the experienced boy. But hey, it's Alexis and Aster. And I just can't see this pro duelist being an innocent virgin when it comes to this. In canon, he **_**might **_**be for all we know. But **_**come on**_**! xD He's a lady killer. It's not far-fetched to imagine he's experimented with girls before he turned 16. I know people in real-life (Aster's age) who have.**

**So that's that. Happy reading ;)**

* * *

**On a Sunny Mid-school Year's Day**

The kissing had gotten steamier as of late — not that Alexis would be one to complain. She didn't think her partner had any qualms either. Gone were the days of _purely _chaste kisses. And now, all of that had given way to the feverish merging of two lips and sensuous tangling of two tongues.

She wasn't sure when it had begun _exactly_… But as of late, an inexplicable urge had been gradually taking over her senses whenever she was so physically close to him. At the start of this whole relationship business, she never really took into account the male physique. Until these recent days, that is. Before, she could always sit close to Aster and put her head on his shoulder, and think _nothing _of it. However, as days and a full month had passed, thoughts that were buried into her subconscious were slowly floating to the surface, creating a hyper-awareness of what his body felt like whenever the kisses passed the boundary of innocence.

With each heated kiss, all she could think about was how snugly her body fit into his; how comfortable it was to just wrap her arms around his shoulders and melt completely in his arms. How sensual it was to seamlessly part from a kiss and tilt her head back so his lips could find access to her jaw.

It filled her body with heat. And every time they stopped, she never had to second guess the furious blush setting her face aflame.

It was so satisfying and yet…not.

She always felt like there _could _be something more if they _didn't _stop. But she never told him _that_. It was embarrassing enough for her to think about what she _thought _she was feeling.

For confirmation, Alexis did what any innocent girl would do and took to the internet for help. And if random people's answers on the world wide web were anything to go by, then that pretty much affirmed what she had been thinking of already.

She didn't ever think she'd know what being horny would feel like. But this was it apparently…

She didn't know what to make of it, and she didn't want to tell Aster because what if he didn't _feel _that way? What if it was all just innocence with him? Although she doubted that with how heavily he petted her and how he stroked her bare skin. She wanted to ask the other girls, but she didn't think that was a good idea. And _no way in hell _was she _ever _even consider asking Atticus. Her brother knew she was dating Aster, but only the heavens would know how he would react if his little sister suddenly came to him asking for advice about what she should do if she felt…well… horny.

Plus, it was just all kinds of wrong to ask a family member about this, let alone her brother. And never mind her _mother_.

"What has _you _frowning again?"

Aster's chuckles brought her out of her reverie, and Alexis shook her head — ridding herself of… impure(?) thoughts. School for the day had just ended, and as per their usual custom, that mean hanging out. Today, it was in Aster's yacht as they did homework. Well, she was _trying _to for the past few minutes, but couldn't seem to focus because she had zoned out again.

"It's not bad to take a break you know."

Aster smiled at her as he returned the deck he had been skimming through just before he noticed that his girlfriend was in a different world altogether. Her cheeks were reddening again, but he supposed he could blame that on the heat. Yet another reminder that Summer was fast approaching — even if it was months away.

She was still dressed in her complete school uniform. _He _had ditched the signature white suit jacket and the necktie in favor of rolling up the long sleeves — to cover only three-fourths of his arms, and loosen the top button of his dress shirt. Even the AC did little to help.

"I think we both need cold drinks."

He closed the short distance between them and kissed her lips chastely, only to fall victim to the festering passion brewing between them. He'd chosen to discard all thoughts of getting cold drinks the moment Alexis wrapped herself around him and leaned completely into him, deepening the kiss without much trouble.

She sighed into his kiss, parting her lips in silent invitation for that smooth tongue. As her fingers threaded through his hair, his face tilted the tiniest bit so her mouth could lock securely against his. She didn't put up a fight, and merely relented when he easily coaxed her into his lap. Letting her own body respond to his actions, she straddled his hips. A low groan vibrated deep in his throat as she worked her fingers on his scalp; her other hand cupped his jaw, sliding locks of hair behind his ear.

And there it was again… The heat. It was slowly spreading through every limb and every vein, pooling in her belly. She ached between the legs, wanting (no, _needing_) _something _to fill the empty space.

Alexis panted as their lips separated. Watching him through heavily lidded eyes, she craned her neck to the side as Aster's lips wandered from her mouth and onto her cheek, slowly creating a tantalizing trail that halted at her jaw — just shy off the top of the sleeveless turtleneck she had underneath her Obelisk blue uniform. A shudder rippled through her spine as he pulled the neckline down and paid special attention to the sensitive skin at her neck, nipping at the flesh and teasing it with his tongue.

A dull ache. Heavy breaths coupled with a heaving chest. Her heart raced and her body gave a slight jolt when she felt Aster undo the button that held her uniform closed. Relieving the black undershirt from being tucked into the skirt, she felt another shiver skitter through her spine as his hand slid beneath her top and planted itself on her bare waist — fitting seamlessly into the curve, his thumb tracing small circles.

Alexis shifted her legs on either side of him to get comfortable, unintentionally planting herself directly above his groin, above the obvious tent in his pants had she been looking. Aster moaned hotly into her ear at the unsolicited action, just as she gasped softly.

He was aroused…

That was an erection. And it felt good pressed up against her groin. Their lips fused together again, tongues tangling, breaths mingling — a soft moan traveling from her throat onto his as her hands adopted minds of their own and slowly began undoing the buttons on his dress shirt. His hands stroked her bare abdomen, traveling higher and stopping just below her covered breasts.

Easily losing to the bliss that began to cloud her mind, she called his name quietly against his parted lips and the hot breath fanning across her mouth. He pulled her in for another heavy kiss as he bucked his hips underneath her, grinding against her hips as she sighed into his mouth and stroked his bare chest with her hands.

Touching him felt like touching a lovely work of art — sculpted just right from years of extreme sports and everyday physical upkeep. Her fingers drifted over his stomach, touching him around his waist, before sliding back up to frame his face in her hands as they kissed and ground against one another. It felt good… Inexplicably good. But their humping did little to satisfy her. It was just doing the opposite, feeding her hunger even more, making the space between her legs _ache _and longfor satisfying penetration.

To _hell _with being embarrassed. Perhaps they'd gone too far. They were _beyond _stopping now. And was it so bad to admit to herself that she _wanted _it _bad? _But she didn't want it from just _anyone_. She wanted Aster. Inside her. Satisfying curiosity and the _need _to be claimed. It would probably hurt, but perhaps the pleasure earned from such an act would make it all worth it.

"Touch me…" Was her whispered plea when they stopped kissing to catch their dwindling breaths.

"Alexis…"

"I don't know how, Aster. But please touch me."

The next thing she was aware of, her shorts had come off, leaving her to feel slightly bare in just her panties underneath the Obelisk Blue skirt. Arms back around his shoulders, she buried her face into his neck and breathed heavily, gasping in pleasant surprise when he touched her _there_. Two fingers deftly stroked her lower lips through her cotton panties, the cloth slowly dampening the more he worked on her and rubbed the bundle of nerves between her legs.

"I'm— w-wet." She gasped in bewilderment at the new sensation. It felt _so _weird, and _hot_.

"You are." Aster agreed into her shoulder before he left her another kiss there. "You're so wet for me, Alexis."

"_Ohhh~_"

Lewd words coupled with lewd gestures had her drawing a long moan into his ear. Her hips bucked against his fingers as he slid the crotch of her panties aside and dipped his middle finger into her tight wet heat — up to the knuckle. He worked on her marvelously, rotating and rubbing the pad of his finger against the sensitive muscles — doing every kind of pleasurable thing to leave her a moaning and groaning mess in his arms.

Was this how good sex was supposed to feel? It was just _one _finger. She could only _imagine _how well he could take care of her sexually.

"Mmmmhhh~ Oh, Aster…"

She _loved _it. It was fast becoming addictive, and it _wasn't even his cock_. The way he cupped her pussy. The heel of his palm pressed tightly against her clit, one finger moving in and out of her at a comfortable and pleasurable pace. She ground her hips against his hand, back arching in pleasure and yelping in slight surprise when her boyfriend added a second finger, and then a third.

She felt… full.

Slippery and wet. Lewd and loud. Hot and tight. Slurping noisily as three fingers slid in and out.

"I— It's b-building up to something." She managed to say in the influx of pleasure filling her senses and clouding her mind.

"You're going to cum."

She shivered when he murmured into her skin, his lips closing gently around her ear. The pace began to pick up and his fingers started thrusting shallowly, palm rubbing against her clit even more insistently. It was building. And building. And building. Like releasing in utter bliss.

"I— I'm there." She gasped in wonder, back arching unnaturally as her arms tightened around him, leaning completely against him for support. "I— It feels… Oh, Aster. So good. So good."

And indeed it was… He could tell. Her walls tightened around his fingers, keeping him from taking his drenched hands off. He let her ride out her orgasm as he slowly began to knead her fleshy bottom. And just as the last dregs of the high began to fade, he peeled his hand away from her drenched pussy. His whole hand was wet, and when she pulled back to look at his face, he smirked deviously and kept his eyes on her as he licked each finger clean — taking care to not miss a single drop. Letting her know how deliciously erotic she tasted.

What a vision she made… Straddling his lap, blonde hair slightly tousled from their actions, uniform completely undone, skirt bunched haphazardly above her hips, shorts nowhere to be found, panties messily shucked off to the side; cheeks flushed and eyes darkened with sexual hunger — a reflection of his own.

"That was… Wow."

"I'll say."

She stuck her tongue out playfully at the smirk that crossed his face. Chuckling, he brought his torso forward, and pulled her closer at the same time, tucking stray locks of hair behind her ear before tenderly kissing her. Returning the kiss with as much fervor, her center unintentionally brushed against his arousal, prompting a quiet moan out of him — and reminding her of one very important detail.

Wasn't he supposed to cum too?

"Aster, don't we need to… um…" She trailed off hesitantly, eyes flitting briefly over to the still noticeable tent in his pants.

"Do _you _wantto keep going?"

To be honest, yes. Yes, she knew she wanted to. But—

"It's not fair if I—"

He didn't want her to think or feel like she had to say 'yes' to doing this with him, just because he pleasured her. He _had _to know for sure that she _wanted _this. Because if she didn't, then wouldn't that just be detrimental?

"I can take care of it pretty quickly. The real question is if _you _want to."

Those blue eyes bore onto her own with a seriousness that rivaled their _very _compromising positions. But in spite of her own inner struggles to _truly _confess to her wanton desires, she thought him sweet — for considering her and her choices when it came to stepping forward in the physical part of their relationship.

She subconsciously bit on her lower lip and peeked at him through her eyelashes, nodding that yes, she wanted this.

Aster smiled and lovingly kissed her cheek. "Let's take this to a more… _appropriate _location."

And the words he spoke next made her insides clench, eager to feel something _more satisfying _than just his fingers.

"I want to strip you naked and make you feel good."

vVvVv

Alexis would never tell anyone, but she _had _on the rare occasion — out of curiosity — looked at pictures of the naked male anatomy on the internet ever since she started hungering for Aster the way she did. And she was glad she did. Otherwise, it simply wouldn't do to be overly embarrassed when faced with the current situation.

At the very least, she knew what to expect from the moment her boyfriend began to completely undress himself. She liked his body. It sounded really weird to think about it, much less say it out loud. But to be fair, he _did _have a nice and mildly toned build. Not overtly muscular, and certainly not underdeveloped.

It was… just right. She couldn't speak for other girls. But _she_ liked it.

When it had been her turn to undress, the timidity came creeping back. She'd expected demands or an impatient grumble of 'get naked' or something along those lines. But none came as Aster drew her into his arms as he laid them both on the bed — with her on top of him. Slowly and tenderly, he kissed her, and peeled the leftover bits of clothing she still had left after he, well, fingered her on the couch.

The uniform jacket, the rumpled skirt, and the black shirt underneath easily came off until she was down to her soaked panties and the bra that kept her breasts sheltered. Distracted with the movement of their lips still fused together, she took the liberty of sliding her panties off until they pooled around her ankles. _He_ neatly unclasped her bra, freeing her breasts from the restrictive cups. He replaced them with his hands, and at the unexpected yet oh so pleasurable feel of him kneading them, her back arched as she let her tongue twine with his.

The cool air from the room's AC brushed against her skin and made her shiver. But the warmth that came with his embrace banished the cold and made her melt. She moaned into his mouth as he brushed his thumbs over her stiffening nipples. He gently pushed his knee between her legs, rubbing the bare cap against her slick folds, earning a surprised cry from her as they broke the kiss at the same time.

He chuckled as she blushed. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she rested her head at the crook of his neck — content, but trying in vain to ignore the hot column of flesh still hidden in his boxers and sandwiched between them.

Aster made a low sound of approval as she let her bare hands graze over smooth skin and planes of muscle. When her hand drifted over his abdomen, tracing an obvious path, and going lower, he gently encouraged her with tender kisses across her neck and on her jaw.

"Can I touch you?" She murmured against his lips.

The hesitation was there. It was discernible. In a bid to be helpful while still being gentle, he smiled and took her hand that had wandered south and placed it over his clothed erection.

Aster was the only guy she'd touched this way (and after this, she didn't want another). But was it still fair to say that the size was quite… intimidating? She didn't want to try to hazard a guess when it came to the exact measurements, because that would be _ridiculous_. But a part of her wanted to take a stab and make a guess anyway.

Swallowing her hesitation, she coaxed him to lift his hips — in which he easily complied. As the boxers slid off, his cock sprang free. He hissed from the sensation of the cool air hitting the most sensitive part of his body at the moment.

"Are you alright?" She asked quietly, watching his face — trying not to get distracted at the sight of an erect penis.

"Y-Yeah. Nnggh~"

His hips bucked upwards at the feel of Alexis' fingers closing around his throbbing cock. It felt _good_. The dips and curves of her palm, the pads of her fingers, her thumb experimentally moving back and forth over the slit — collecting the clear drops of pre-cum that dribbled out. She was new to this and she was actually being curious. The inexperience plus the pink in her cheeks… Was it bad to say that he thought she looked adorable?

She moved her hand up and down, glancing at Aster's face for a reaction, trying to gauge which strokes he liked and which ones he didn't. All the while, she stared at his cock dumbfounded. Comparing sizes with other males were out of the question. All she was sure of was that it felt big and it could stretch her.

She'd heard it was always painful and would probably even bleed the first time around. It was… a little worrying. But at the memory of the mind-numbing pleasure she experienced at his hands not even a full hour ago was enough to convince her that maybe the pain would be worth it. Still—

"Aster?" She asked hesitantly, leisurely pumping her hand up and down still.

_Clearly_, she had _no idea _what her hand motions were doing to him.

"Agh~ Yeah?—"

"Will it hurt if you put this inside me?" She stopped stroking him, instead staring up at him with curiosity overflowing in her eyes. "Is it really going to bleed?"

Aster had no idea why she was asking him questions the way she did — as if he knew the answer to all of it (which he did because he'd had had sex before, but he didn't want to mention that _now_). But he did find her slight worrying endearing. Because he knew all too well how nerve-wracking first times could be for some people. He played it cool when he had been in her shoes a long time ago with a more experienced and older teenaged girl, but the heavens knew how wrought with nerves and how anxious he'd been. Needless to say, he'd gotten used to it. And ended up having an earlier start than most people his age.

Righting himself and sitting cross-legged, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lips again. "Not if we do it right. It'll be uncomfortable at first, but it goes away, I promise."

She nodded. "Okay. Well, I— I think I'm ready."

"You've _been _ready." A dastardly smirk crossed his lips as he shallowly dipped one of his fingers in her pussy before showing her the evidence of her arousal and the leftovers of her earlier orgasm.

"Aster!" Was the indignant whine that followed that made him laugh.

"It's the truth, Baby."

She frowned and pouted before abruptly changing the subject. "Whatever. Do we have a condom?"

He gave her a sheepish smile. "Well, we did this on a whim. So, no, I didn't buy a box yet." He leaned over and kissed her nose, wiping away the contemplative expression she had adopted. "I'll pull out, don't worry."

If it had been any other boy, and if she didn't know them half as well as she did Aster, she would have straight up left by now. But then again, she wouldn't even _think _of doing this if it were anybody else. She hadn't even considered sex until she begun dating Aster. She wanted this with _him_. He obviously did too. All that was left was to trust him and his word.

Besides, she'd be lying if she said she didn't want that hot throbbing column of flesh inside her _now_…

With a racing heart and feeling slightly anxious, Alexis did as Aster bid. She leaned back on the bed, letting her arms support her torso's weight as she spread her legs for him. An arm wound her own waist and pressed her body against his, until all she could focus on was him and his lips grazing over her bare skin and over her exposed breasts. That throbbing cock lay between them, hot and heavy against her stomach. Three of his fingers found their way inside her again and she voiced her satisfaction to his empty bedroom, knees bending and toes curling as he made scissoring motions with his fingers — preparing her body for his intrusion.

Her back tensed when the her slick folds parted the tiniest bit to accommodate the head. She closed her eyes, trying to distract herself with thoughts of how good this would feel later on.

He was right. It felt…weird. And uncomfortable. And full. And…new. He did it slowly, one inch after another. There _was _pain. But there was no excruciating pain, no gushing of blood, no tearing — not at all like the horror stories she'd read over the world wide web. If she had to guess, it was probably just her trying to adjust to his size and to the feel of being stretched for the first time.

And through it all, he kept asking if she was okay and if he wanted her to keep going or if she wanted them to stop. Each time, the response was always a "Don't stop."

"Ooohhh~" Came her long and drawn out response to him slowly moving his hips.

As the pain and discomfort gradually faded, so did her inhibitions. With each slow and steady thrust, he stripped away her reservations one by one, until she was naught but a whining and loudly moaning mess atop his wrinkled bed sheets.

"Uhhh— It's so— Mmm… So good." She managed in a strained voice, bucking her hips, drawing them forward — an invitation to slide his cock deeper.

Hot and tight. And so gloriously wet. "Oh, ye-e-ess…"

He hissed and groaned; moaning lewdly. Appreciative of the loud squelching and slurping that was slowly growing louder the more he burrowed his cock into her. The blood continued to rush south, and his length throbbed even more whenever he stared at how their bodies were joined together. He listened to Alexis' moans and grinned perversely as she sighed in satisfaction when he began kneading her full breasts, synchronizing the movement with the pace of his leisurely thrusts.

She gave a particularly loud cry and threw her head back — eyes squeezed shut, when his mouth closed over one breast. He suckled loudly, dragging and flattening his tongue across her areola before releasing the mound with a resounding wet pop. He did the same to the other and it was almost enough to drive her _wild_.

"Oh, Aster— Yes! F**k me harder… Ngghh~"

He released her other breast with a loud slurp, and she coaxed his face towards her own. As they locked their lips together and let their tongues play, his pace began to quicken — driving deeper and faster into her. Her mewling and gasping increased in volume as she clung tighter to him, short fingernails digging into his skin as she arched her back and lethargically met his thrusts.

"I— I think I'm going to— Uh, Aster… I— Oh yes!"

"It's so, _ngh… _Too tight. Ahh~ I need you t-to cum, Lex."

He sighed through his nose, and plowed into her even more — eager to see her face as she fell into bliss, and taste the fruit of this pleasurable labor. Her hold on him tightened, and her inner muscles contracted. She squeezed him tighter, unconsciously inviting his cock to release all that sperm inside her. But as much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't. So he simply held tighter onto his restraint and contented himself with watching her lovely face contort in immeasurable ecstasy. She cried his name, calling for him in the throes of pleasure as her body convulsed and tingled with euphoria.

Her chest heaving, Alexis slowly opened her eyes and gasped slightly. Aster's hard cock slipped out of her slightly relaxed yet still sensitive pussy. His sighs of bliss made her insides clench. And was it even possible to get turned on for the third time in a row?

He pumped his cock twice and moaned low and deep. It was a pressure release. And it felt so good.

Transfixed, she watched as rope after rope of milky white semen dribbled and spurted out of his cock. Most of it coated his hand and the head of his shaft, but a considerable amount still landed on her stomach. Wringing the last few drops out with slow strokes, he panted and doubled over her before collapsing on the empty space next to her — spent and satisfied.

Unable to speak as she was still taking time to recover from the physical exertion herself, she shifted onto her side and embraced him and his nudity.

"Did I do well?" She asked quietly, curious to hear an honest evaluation about how she handled her first time.

She felt his chest rumble as he laughed quietly and nuzzled her cheek. "_I _should be asking you that question." He smiled and brought his hand up to stroke her hair. "It was mind-blowing, Babe."

"You came _hard_." She giggled into his shoulder as she teased him, closing her eyes drowsily as the warmth of his body next to hers prompted her to give into slumber.

"I could say the same for you."

His fingers threaded through her hair, fondly smoothing locks of golden brown — tucking some behind her ear, some he lazily let drift behind her shoulder. Eyes half-lidded, she let herself drown in his gorgeous blue eyes as she cupped his cheek; brushing her fingertips across his cheek, over the bridge of his perfect nose, tracing the curves of his sensual lips.

It was sweet and blissful to drown in pleasure like she just had… So that was what _it _felt like, huh?

Making love…

How appropriate then that people called it the way they did.

She couldn't find a word to express it better herself.


	12. 10,000 Hours

**A/N: Oh boy… Saying it's been a while is kind of pushing it. Haven't updated this in so long. O_O I'm really sorry. Too much is going on in RL right now. I'****m **_**barely **_**keeping up with it, and my other Code Geass fanfics.**

**Not much details of setting or events here, mostly because the majority of this is Aster's thoughts on his lovely Queen. ;)**

**But I will say this.**

**This takes place after Yu-Gi-Oh GX. When Alexis decides to pursue her career as a teacher and flies to the US for college. Aster goes with her. And during this one-shot, they're being cozy as hell aboard a private jet plane on their way to the US. (My imagination's weird).**

**Because, as we all know, our boy Phoenix is American and I'm one to believe he **_**actually **_**lives in the USA.**

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

**10,000 Hours**

"_When you think about your forever now, do you think of me? When you close your eyes, tell me, what are you dreaming? Everything — I want to know it all~_"

He was never one for overly dramatic words. And he usually kept this to himself…

But sometimes, the simple act of looking at her was enough to make his heart want to explode. As if it was filled to the brim with an emotion that was impossible to name. Sometimes even 'love' was an inadequate word for the way he felt in her presence and whenever he thought of her.

Had anyone told him he'd fall this hard for a girl one day, he would have laughed in their face.

People who knew him in the Pro Circuit would be first to admit that Aster Phoenix didn't have the time to spare for a partner. An accelerated educational program, memberships in global sports clubs, and Duel Monsters tours across the globe. Not even counting the mass media interviews. He was a career-driven person in every sense of the word — and not even taking into account his _age_.

It was easy for some people to assume that he wouldn't have the time nor the patience to hunt for romance. Not that he was on the look-out for one in the first place anyway.

But people like Atticus were right, he realized, when they said that you don't look for love. It just finds you.

It was a different experience for everyone, of course. But he was a victim of meeting love in the most unexpected of places. In an academy he had deemed acceptable, in a group of students who were as exuberant about summer vacations as they were about dueling.

What was it that drove him to her, exactly?

Physically speaking, she wasn't any different from the dozens of girls he'd seen on tour. A pretty face, some physical assets, and with the intelligence quotient to boot. There were plenty of girls like that, and he'd met a wide variety of them before. (Perhaps even slept with one on an occasion or two). But _what the hell _made Alexis Rhodes stand out?

The chemistry hadn't been there during the first meeting. Not the second, the third, nor the fourth… It had been a gradual process, he now realized. He had grown into his feelings for her just as much as she. It had been an attraction founded on titillating banter, smart quips, occasional meet-ups, and a deep conversation — once or twice. And through it all, he'd been fortunate enough to witness the _real _person behind the pretty face. He was privy to the charming personality; to her beautiful soul.

They didn't talk everyday, or all that often during those first few months. But when they did, he just knew he was falling head-first when he found himself enjoying her presence — even in a group setting. When he was alone, his thoughts occasionally wandered to thoughts of her and what she could be doing then or what she was up to. Hell, he was inwardly seething when Chazz had flirted with her overtly.

So when she picked him (for all the right reasons) and no one else, it had been quite difficult to grasp just how lucky he was.

"When you met me, did you ever think you'd fall deeply in love with me?" His fingers traced random patterns along the bare skin of her arms as his arm tightened around her waist.

She rolled her eyes and looked him dead in the eye. "I didn't know I was deeply in love with you."

He cocked an eyebrow at her quip, reached for his phone, and after a quick search through voice mails, quickly replayed the recent ones where she clearly professed her feelings for him. The action earned him hard swats on the shoulder from his lover, and he laughed quietly into her hair as he placed his phone out of her reach. Intertwining their fingers instead, he brought the back of her hand to his lips for a sweet kiss.

"The first time I saw you, you were in a magazine surrounded by Duel Monsters." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "And I could have cared _less _about who you were then. Just another Pro in the circuit."

"I asked about the day you _met _me. Not _saw _me." Pouting, he poked her stomach gently before curling his body around her so she couldn't retaliate that easily.

She adopted a thoughtful expression, coyly tapping the tip of her finger against her lip as she pretended to think really hard on it. He knew she had an answer already. And though he would have loved to call her out for stalling just to tease him, he quite liked the sight of his love pretending to contemplate. It was endearing.

"When I first met Aster Phoenix, did I think I would fall in love with the jerk who brutally beat two of my best friends and scarred them for life?"

"Ooh, ouch. That's a little mean even for you."

She ignored his pouting and smirked up at him with adoring eyes. "No, I didn't think I would." The slightest quirk at the corner of her lips turned into his favorite smile. "But I'm glad I did. I'm glad I'm not dating the celebrity. Just you."

Him and his love for cards and his penchant for thinking about deep thoughts aloud. Him with his emotional baggage and traumatic past. Him with his scars of abandonment and traces of emotional pain. Every part of him she had accepted with open arms.

And it felt so humbling that there was someone in this world who bothered to get to know the real him and still stick by his side. Not because of his material riches or his status in society. But because they just wanted to… Because she loved him enough to see through it all and take him as he was. Not as Aster the Pro Duelist, or Aster as the child prodigy. Just Aster…

"I'm happy— to be in love with you."

And there it was again. The insistent tug on his heart, filling up with the need to pull her closer than possible; creating in him a wish that they could just melt into one being. A year of ups and downs with her, and they'd both weathered through it and came out stronger than before. And just the thought of starting the next chapter of their lives together was more than enough to remind him all over again that he'd met this wonderful girl and had fallen in love with her in an island that had been the center of the craziest events in human history.

That against all odds, he found love and kept it. That destiny was kind enough to let him be happy in the arms of a lover.

One year and a handful of months…

True, it wasn't enough time to claim to completely know someone inside and out. But he was willing to _learn_. By the _gods_, he knew so much about Alexis already.

But it wasn't enough… It was never going to be enough.

And for however long this journey of theirs would stretch (hopefully for a lifetime), he had silently vowed long ago that he would never stop.

He'd learn about her, and stay awed by this lovely light every single day. Every time he opened his eyes to the sight of her next to him in bed. Every time he caught her smiling face in the crowd. Every time those lovely brown eyes focused on him. Every time she'd let him hold her and stay with her.

She was happy to be in love with him, she said.

Well, _he _was humbled and eternally grateful; knew he was falling in love with her with each and every day that passed them by.

"_I'd spend 10,000 hours and 10,000 more if that's what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours. And I might never get there, but I'm going to try. If it's 10,000 hours or the rest of my life, I'm going to love you~_"


End file.
